Cara Mia
by Blue-Winter-Angel
Summary: Sequel to 15 Step. Edward and Bella have a lot to look forward to: a wedding, a honeymoon to an exotic location and of course, Bella's transformation into a vampire. What else does the future hold for these two? Join them as they bring it all together.
1. Marry You

**OHAI! -blows dust away- Yes, I'm back! It's been so long. How are you? **

**First and foremost I want to apologize for taking so long. I had some major computer issues to deal with earlier in the year and then the typical writing struggles. Nevertheless, I made it out alive and here we are! **

**As you may have noticed, it's just me in this particular AN. It seems the others have ditched and left me to apologize and grovel because it took me a million years to get this written. I'm sure they'll pop in from time to time as the story goes along. Speaking of which, just a reminder about what you'll find here. Much like 15 Step, this story is very low on angst. I don't even think there _is_ angst -scratches head- Um..**

**Anyway, I've kept you waiting long enough. Let's get this show on the road, shall we? It's going to be a lot of fun.**

**Big cuddles and a million and one thanks to my beta and big sister, Liz4 for holding my hand while I wrote and reminding me that no one was going to hurt me for taking so long. So far so good ;) I love you, sis!**

**Disclaimer: It's not mine. Damn it. **

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><p><em><strong>Chapter One<br>Marry You **_

"Bella, will you hold still?"

"Sorry."

"No you're not."

I snorted, trying to still the bouncing of my leg and the tapping of my fingers and the biting of my lips and…

Yeah, safe to say I was fidgeting.

It was the day of my wedding and I felt like the Energizer Bunny on steroids. I had been looking forward to this day from the moment Edward had proposed to me in our meadow. As soon as it had sunk in that I would be bearing his last name, that I would be his wife and he my husband, I had been all kinds of impatient. Edward was overjoyed with my enthusiasm, relieved that I wasn't as opposed to teenage marriage as many others were.

Alice had been waiting for us on the front porch of the Cullen house when we returned that afternoon, a continuous "Eeee!" sound emanating from her tiny body. She quickly stole me away and began bargaining on how long I would allow her to put everything together. I gave her three months.

I had been a little nervous to tell Charlie about my engagement to Edward, but to my shock he had taken it very well, congratulating the both of us and then asking if we had set a date.

"Ow!" I shrieked, rubbing at my shoulder where Alice had pinched me. "What was that for?"

"You wouldn't stop fidgeting," she told me, pointing to my bouncing right leg.

Traitor leg.

"Well, it needs to move. I'm surprised all my limbs haven't fallen asleep," I joked, glaring at her reflection in the mirror. "How long have I been sitting here?"

"Ten minutes," she laughed.

Really? It felt like hours.

"And are you done?" I asked, motioning to my hair which had been curled and then pinned in a simple yet elegant design.

"Certainly am," she replied, stepping away with her hands raised. "Perfect."

"Freaking finally," I sighed dramatically, standing up and stretching my muscles. "What's next?"

I may not be the girliest of girls, but I found I quite enjoyed the pampering process. Besides, it was for a good cause. Edward and I would look back on this day for the rest of forever; I wanted to remember myself looking pretty damn attractive.

"Food. Edward will kill me if you don't eat anything."

I smiled sympathetically, knowing that most brides couldn't eat on their wedding day. Thankfully, I wasn't a bridezilla and found myself quite hungry. "I could eat," I told her. "What's on the menu?"

"Nothing you're likely to spill on yourself," she teased. "How about a sandwich?"

"And some fruit?"

"I'm on it."

Before I could thank her, she was gone and if I listened carefully I could hear her bustling about downstairs, taking a moment to chastise someone. My guess was Emmett.

I laughed under my breath as I left Alice's unnecessarily huge bathroom and walked into the attached bedroom, where all of my things for today found themselves. Edward was no doubt in his room getting all dressed up; my stomach fluttered at the thought. Alice had refused to let us see each other last night. Despite my whining, she was determined to make this wedding as traditional as possible. Well, traditional aside from the bride and groom.

Reaching the window, I leaned against the wall and peeked out into the backyard. Six rows of chairs covered in white sheets and tied with a soft yellow silk bow were set up in the yard with an aisle between them. A small podium stood at the end of the aisle for Mr. Weber, our celebrant. Hey, it was either him or Emmett.

It was simple yet stunning, perfect for us.

We really had chosen a perfect day to get married. Well, Alice had. She had been looking ahead for weeks, checking and re-checking to make sure that the day would be suitable for such a big event. In my personal opinion, it was just right; slight cloud cover, not too hot, not too cold, a gentle breeze and a beautiful sunset. Edward and I had chosen to marry at twilight, mainly so there could be twinkle lights for the night time reception.

Shut up, I like them.

"Bella?"

I turned to see Rosalie standing in the doorway with my food in her hands, smiling brightly. I tilted my head, urging her to come in and she did so with a grace that only Rosalie could posses. She sat down on the bed and patted the mattress beside her, throwing me a grape when I sat down with her.

"You nervous?" she asked.

I shrugged. "Not really, I mean, I thought I'd be freaking out but… I'm not. I'm excited."

"Alice asked if I could do your makeup while she sorts out a few things downstairs, but I think I'll let you eat first," she said with a laugh.

"Much appreciated."

We kept up a light conversation as I ate, joking and laughing together. Once I was done she led me back into the bathroom and sat me down, picking up a tube of mascara and getting to work. I had asked for minimal makeup and no blush because, let's face it, I didn't need makeup to have red cheeks.

Time passed all too quickly and before I knew it, Alice was in the bathroom with us, wearing a simple silver wrap dress.

"Oh, Alice! You look stunning!" I cried.

She rolled her eyes at me. "Not as stunning as you'll look once we get your dress on."

"Think you could take care of that?" Rosalie asked as she stood from where she had been sitting on the counter. "I need to get dressed."

"Sure, but hurry, people are starting to arrive."

"They are?" I squeaked, my chest constricting in a rush of nerves.

"Bella, relax. This is your and Edward's day, don't worry about everyone else." Taking my hand, she led me back into the bedroom where my dress was laying across the bed. "You ready to put this baby on?"

I nodded excitedly, getting a little choked up looking at my dress.

When I asked Renee about her experience with dress shopping she had gone on and on about having to go to almost every dress shop in Seattle until she found hers. I had freaked out a little until Alice reassured me with the knowledge that we would only be going to one shop.

"Okay, now step in as carefully as you can," Alice instructed, holding the dress up and fastening it at the back once she had settled it against my body.

I had known what dress I was going to wear the moment I'd walked into the shop. And according to Rosalie and Esme – who had tagged along for the big event – it looked even better on me than it did on the hanger.

Thank goodness.

The dress was white satin with a sweetheart neckline and thin jewelled straps. A small intricate beaded design splayed across the top of the tight hugging bodice and the soft flare of the skirt brushed against my legs with each movement. It was beautiful.

Alice let out a high tinkling giggle before flitting across the room to retrieve my shoes, motioning for me to sit down before she slipped the simple shoes on my feet.

"All done," she sighed, pressing her hands against her cheeks. "Edward won't have words to describe your beauty."

"Alice," I whined as I rose from the bed, not wanting to cry. "Stop!"

My soon to be sister-in-law rolled her eyes at me before looking toward the door of the bedroom. Barely a second later the sound of knuckles tapping against the wood rang softly throughout the room before the door cracked open.

"Am I allowed to come in?" asked my mother before poking her head in.

"Of course," Alice said with a smile, waving for her to join us.

She took one step inside and abruptly stopped in her tracks.

"Oh, Bella," she gasped, raising a hand to her mouth. "You look stunning."

"Thanks, mum," I said with a smile.

"Edward is one very lucky man," she began, collecting herself and closing the distance between us, leaning over to kiss my cheek. "I just wanted to come up and say hi before I have to go and find my seat."

"Knock knock."

I looked to the door and a bright smile made its way onto my face when I spotted Charlie in the entryway. He gave me a once over and cleared his throat, giving me a thumbs up, the easiest way to get his point across.

"Time to get this show on the road," he announced.

"Oh! Looks like I need to get my butt moving," mum laughed before kissing my cheek again. "I'm so proud of you, baby girl."

"Thanks," I squeaked, a lump forming in my throat.

"Come on, Bella," Alice soothed, rubbing soft circles into my back. "You're alright."

"Alice," Rosalie called, peeking in through the partly opened door. "I've got your bouquet."

"Okay people," Alice called, knowing that all the vampires downstairs would hear. "Let's do this!"

Charlie held his arm out for me, chuckling when I looped mine through his and held on for dear life. My heart was now pounding a furious rhythm in my chest, knowing that Edward was just outside.

Rosalie smiled at me as she passed Alice the small bouquet. "You look beautiful, sister," she told me before blowing a kiss and slipping back out into the hall, taking her place in line. She was my bridesmaid while Alice was my maid of honour.

"I know I've never said it before," Charlie began as we took our place behind Alice. "But Edward is just right for you and I know, without a doubt, that he'll take care of my little girl."

"Dad," I sighed. "I'll always be your little girl."

"I know that," he said with a soft smile. "You really do look beautiful, Bells."

I sniffed and leaned my head on his shoulder as an unfamiliar tune began to play. Alice had told me that Edward had asked to pick the song for our walk down the aisle and I had spent many a day trying to weasel a hint out of him, but he didn't say a word. I'd known that whatever he chose would be beautiful, and I was right.

"Wait ten seconds and then follow me, okay?" Alice whispered before descending the stairs.

I nodded mutely, listening to the soft, slow build of the stunningly orchestrated chorus.

Knowing that I was a bit distracted, Charlie counted under his breath and when it was time for us to join the others he gently urged me forward, chuckling again as I smiled sheepishly.

The music changed as we reached the door that led to the yard; it grew stronger, more intense, but still remained soft and soothing. I heard a beautiful arrangement of strings and the high call of a flute guiding me home.

Our small gathering of guests turned to watch my father walk me down the aisle, their smiles bright. I barely saw their faces for I had caught sight of the one who mattered most.

Edward.

He stood at the end of the aisle with Carlisle, Jasper and Emmett beside him. I had no words for the way he looked, hair as windblown as ever, body clad in a sharp tuxedo, lips pulled up in a wide smile and his eyes… _oh, his eyes. _Golden and absolutely sparkling in awe.

"Steady, kiddo," Charlie soothed as we continued our leisurely pace. "Don't go galloping the rest of the way."

I laughed under my breath and hugged myself closer to him.

_Almost there… almost there._

Before I knew it we had reached our destination, our walk slowing before stopping altogether. I turned to my father with a wide smile, holding back tears like I had been for the last 20 minutes or so. Charlie took my hand and looked over my shoulder to Edward and in a gesture as old as time, placed my hand in his.

And just like that, the world fell away.

Edward smiled at me and squeezed my hand, the gentle pressure making my heart skip and his smile broadened at the sound.

_I love you, _I mouthed.

He released a heavy breath and returned the sentiment.

As we took our places, the music that had carried me down the stairs, out the back door, and across the yard to my heart finally reached its end, the whistle of the flute drifting over us and into the open air.

Alice nudged my back and I smiled, peeking at her and Rosalie over my shoulder before looking to Mr. Weber.

That lasted a good five seconds.

The moment he started talking, my gaze drifted back to Edward's face and I blushed when I realized he had been watching me the whole time. I lost myself in his eyes, his touch, his smell…

Alice nudged me again and Edward smirked when I realized we had reached my line.

"I do."

I took the ring Alice held out for me and slid it onto Edward's finger, rubbing my thumb along his knuckle.

When it was his turn to speak his words rang out loud and true.

"I do."

Edward squeezed my hands and reached for the ring Carlisle offered him, slipping the simple wedding band onto my finger before raising it to his lips and placing the softest of kisses there.

I sighed happily.

And then finally, _finally_,we were given the green light to seal our union with a kiss.

Edward took my face in his hands and swooped downward, pressing his lips to mine in a kiss appropriate for an audience. I wrapped my fingers around his wrists and leaned into him, the tears I had fought against now raining down my cheeks. Pulling away, he smiled at me and rubbed my tears away with his thumbs, looking as though he would cry with happiness had he been able.

Mr. Weber spoke once more and our guests applauded but I paid it no mind. Edward pulled me to him, sweeping me off my feet as he buried his face in my shoulder.

"My wife," he laughed in wondrous disbelief.

I giggled and squeezed my arms tighter around him.

Renee was the first to reach us, blubbering like nobody's business. She gushed about how proud she was and welcomed Edward to the family before burying her face in Phil's chest as he congratulated us. Charlie gave Edward a warm smile and a clap on the back, inviting him fishing once we returned from our honeymoon.

My friends from La Push had made it to the wedding, Jacob with Vanessa at his side, the young girl sporting her usual wide smile. I hugged each and every one of them, thanking them for coming and taking their compliments with a laugh and a mention of Alice's brilliant skills with a curling iron.

Eventually it was dark enough for the twinkle lights to be turned on and Edward laughed at the childlike wonder on my face when Emmett flipped the switch. I elbowed him in the ribs and then grumbled when that particular body part began to throb.

We took our time heading over to the reception area, stealing kisses and joking around the whole way there. I sneakily slipped off my shoes when we sat down at the bridal party table, giving my feet a well deserved rest.

Toasts were made, speeches were given, jokes were told, photos were taken and tears were shed. And in the case of our human guests, food was eaten.

When we cut the cake I decided to show Edward mercy, smashing the piece of cake into his nose and cheeks instead of making him eat it.

Before long, Alice was urging Edward and me onto the dance floor, ignoring my panicked whining.

"Relax," Edward soothed as an acoustic guitar began to play. "It's all in the leading, and having a terrific dance partner certainly doesn't hurt."

I laughed as he lifted me up and slipped his feet under mine.

_Do you hear me?  
><em>_I'm talking to you  
><em>_Across the water  
><em>_Across the deep blue ocean  
><em>_Under the open sky, oh my  
><em>_Baby I'm trying_

_Boy I hear you in my dreams  
><em>_I feel you whisper  
><em>_Across the sea  
><em>_Keep you with me, in my heart  
><em>_You make it easier when life gets hard_

I released a heavy sigh and rested my head on his chest, enjoying the feel of his arms around me. He kissed my hair before nuzzling his nose into the dark curls.

"I can't believe we're married," I whispered as we swayed.

"That's right, you're my wife and I'm your husband. You now have to feed me and keep me satisfied."

I laughed. "How exactly would one feed you? Just drag a deer carcass inside and say 'Here, honey'?"

He snorted, his shoulders shaking with barely contained laughter. I could hear Emmett and Jasper snickering not too far away.

"Something like that."

_Lucky I'm in love with my best friend  
><em>_Lucky to have been where I have been  
><em>_Lucky to be coming home again_

_Lucky we're in love in every way  
><em>_Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed  
><em>_Lucky to be coming home someday_

"You know," I began as the song reached its last verse. "Now all that's left for you to do is tell me where we're going for our honeymoon."

"Not a chance," he purred, rubbing his lips against my temple.

I chuckled. "I love you.

"And I love you, Mrs. Cullen."

"Hmm, I could get used to that."

"I'm glad."

As the song changed, other couples joined us on the dance floor. I smiled brightly when Carlisle reached us.

"May I have a dance with my new daughter?" he asked, placing a hand on Edward's shoulder.

"Be my guest," my husband replied. "I believe I owe my mother one." He winked at me before leaving in search of Esme.

Carlisle stepped forward and cupped his hand around my waist. "So, how are you feeling?"

"Sensational," I told him as he led me in a slow circle.

"Marriage suits you."

"I've barely been married two hours."

"It still suits you."

"Whatever you say, doc," I said with a grin. "Hey… you wouldn't be able to tell me where I'm being taken for my honeymoon?"

"Don't even think about it," Edward warned playfully as he and Esme twirled past us.

"Sorry," my father-in-law laughed with a cheeky smile. "It seems that information is rather confidential."

"Dang."

He kissed my forehead and twirled me about.

Charlie was the next person I danced with, and I giggled at our awkward shuffling until I was handed to Emmett, then Jasper, then Jacob and little Seth, and then back to Edward who quickly caught me in an earth shattering kiss, ignoring the wolf whistles and boisterous cheering from his brothers.

The dancing paused not too long after, everyone watching as Edward ducked under the skirt of my dress and retrieved the garter wrapped around my thigh. I squealed with laughter when he reappeared with the flimsy material between his teeth, watching as he flung it into the crowd, rolling his eyes with a groan when Emmett announced to the guests that he caught it.

As the celebration came to an end, Alice and Rosalie led me back inside to change into my going away dress. It was a simple knee length cream dress with wide straps, a dipping neckline and a satin bow underneath the bust.

"Come on, come on," Alice giggled. "We need to get you two on the road, you have a plane to catch."

"A _what_?" I squeaked. "We're flying somewhere?"

"Ha!" Rosalie cried, pointing at our sister. "Jasper owes me fifty bucks."

Alice poked her tongue out. "That's all the info I'm giving you, so shut up now. You need to say your goodbyes."

"What was that?" I murmured, momentarily distracted by the sweet relief of the flats I had just slipped on.

"Hurry the hell up," she clarified.

"Ah," I grinned, allowing her to tug me back downstairs with Rosalie quick at our heels.

Edward was waiting out back, now in a simple grey shirt and jeans.

Yum.

I noticed he was glaring playfully at Alice as he swept me into his arms. "I can't believe you tattled."

"It was unintentional," she defended herself with a wide smile. "We can argue details later, right now you two need to get going."

He chuckled and ducked down to look me in the eyes. "You ready to go?"

I gave him a chaste kiss. "I sure am."

We didn't have our guests throw confetti as we made a dash for the Volvo. Instead, they made a tunnel with their arms that we ran under, calling out goodbyes to us as I blew kisses to my parents and new family as we passed them.

Edward, ever the gentleman, held the door open for me when we reached the car before jogging around to his side and getting in. He honked the horn as we pulled away from the house and I turned in my seat to gaze out the back window which had 'Just Married' scrawled across it. Everyone was waving like lunatics and I got Edward to honk again as we turned the corner and they disappeared from sight.

As we pulled out onto the highway, I slumped into my seat and heaved a sigh.

"Glad it's over?" Edward asked, watching me from the corner of his eye.

"I wouldn't say that because I had an absolute blast. It's just a lot to process right now; so much went on, but I wouldn't change it for the world."

He brought my hand to his lips and kissed it, rubbing his lips over my wedding band. "Have I told you that you look stunning tonight?"

"You certainly have," I laughed, remembering all the times he had told me of my otherworldly beauty during the reception.

"Well, I don't believe I've told you since you changed clothes and I must say you look absolutely delectable in this little number. If we didn't have a plane to catch, I'd be peeling you out of it by now."

I shivered. "But we _do _have a plane to catch and you have yet to tell me where it's taking us."

"You'll find out soon enough, ma petite chèrie."

He smirked at me and I squeezed his hand.

_Stupid, sexy, secret keeping vampire husband._

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><p><strong>-Happy sigh- It's so good to be back.<strong>

**Well, there you go. They finally got hitched! I certainly made them wait, didn't I? Oops. **

**Photos of Bella's wedding dress and going away dress are in the Cara Mia album in my photo gallery which can be found on my blog. The link is on my profile.**

**Also, the lovely Tkegl made a stunning banner for Cara Mia which can be found over there as well. Be sure to let her know how awesome it is :) Thanks again, sweetheart!**

**I post teasers on my blog each Tuesday so be sure to swing by if you want a sneak peek of the next chapter. Until then, come and say hi on Twitter. I'm BlueWinterAngel over there.**

**I'd love to hear your thoughts :) See you soon!**


	2. Over The Water

**Hello again, lovelies! **

**Sorry for taking so long (I hope I don't make a habit of it.) Another computer issue got in the way of me updating sooner, but I've since found a solution to the problem which will hopefully allow me to get chapter three to you a hell of a lot sooner :) So hooray for that!**

**Now, I'm sure you're all wondering where these two crazy kids are going for their honeymoon. Here's a hint: It's not Isle Esme *dun dun duuuuuun* I also took a few liberties as far as flight times go. The last thing E&B want to do is sit around a bunch of airport terminals all day, so I sped up the process a bit. There's nothing wrong with that... right?**

**As always, a million and one thanks to my beta and big sister, Liz4 for making my words look pretty and not even hesitating to make fun of Bella when she's being a dork. I love you, sis!**

**Disclaimer: It's not mine. Sigh.**

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><p><em><strong>Chapter Two<br>**__**Over The Water**_

"California?" I questioned as the woman at the check-in handed us our tickets.

"Just a stop along the way," he assured me, taking my hand and leading me through the terminal. Our pre-packed suitcases had been handed in and would be waiting for us at our destination.

Wherever the hell it was.

The flight wasn't all that long and I spent majority of it leaning over Edward's lap, peeking out the small window at all the city lights as we flew over them.

We had a half hour layover in LAX so I took the time to get something to eat and use the bathroom. I didn't enjoy using airplane bathrooms, especially when you hit turbulence while you're trying to pee.

Exhaustion began to set in as we waited out the last few minutes before we were set to board our next flight.

"You're still not going to give anything away, are you?" I mumbled into Edward's shoulder.

Before he could answer, the announcement for our flight came through the overhead speakers and I jolted upright, my jaw somewhere in my lap.

"Sydney?" I gasped, turning to Edward with wide eyes. "As in Sydney, _Australia_?"

He nodded, grinning. "Technically, we're going to the Gold Coast."

"That's a little further east, right?"

"Just a bit."

"I can't believe this," I breathed as he led me to the front desk so the gate attendant could check our tickets. "We're going to Australia for our honeymoon. What in the world made you decide to take me there?"

"Well," he began as we made our way to the plane, "you once mentioned that it was somewhere you'd always wanted to visit, so I thought, why not?"

"You're something else," I laughed, twining our fingers as we boarded the plane and took our seats in first class.

I zonked out a few hours after take-off, too tired to keep my eyes open.

x-X-x

"Bella, sweetheart?"

"Mmm?"

"You need to wake up now. We're going to land soon and I thought you might like something to eat so I got you a sandwich."

I raised my head from where it had been nestled in the crook of Edward's neck and arched my back, trying to relieve some of the tension in my stiff muscles. "Morning… evening… whatever time of the day it is."

"It's early morning and a day in the future, Mrs. Cullen," he told me, handing me the sandwich. I didn't notice what was on it, just enjoyed the fact that I had something in my stomach. "The time difference messes with your head a little at first, but once you've had some decent bed rest you'll be fine."

I smiled gratefully. I had been sleeping on and off the whole flight, surprised by just how tired I was.

"You haven't been too bored, have you?" I asked.

He shook his head. "You were mumbling away and I got to see how the scenery had changed since the last time I was here. I've had plenty to keep me occupied."

I leaned over to kiss him, peeking out the window when we broke away. "So, this is Sydney?"

"Certainly is." He pointed to a large black bridge as the plane began its descent. "That's the Sydney Harbour Bridge and that over there is the Sydney Opera House."

"It's kind of weird looking," I murmured, looking at the strange roof design.

He chuckled. "That it is."

"It's not just for opera, right?"

"No, it's not. All sorts of bands and artists have performed there and they also film award shows on the steps."

"You're like the vampire version of Wikipedia," I giggled, cupping his face in my hands and kissing him again.

It took me a few minutes to get my bearings once we departed the plane, having been sitting still for so long. Edward kept his arm firmly around my waist, pressing his lips to my temple every now and again.

Our layover here was shorter than the one in California – only 20 minutes – so I made a quick dash to the bathroom before we made our way to yet another terminal.

"Coolangatta?" I asked, taking a moment to examine the flight timetables on the screens above our heads.

"Mhm," he confirmed distractedly, more interested in nuzzling his way into my hair. "It was either there or Brisbane. If we were to land in Brisbane it would take us over an hour to get to the hotel, at least from Coolangatta it'll be half an hour or less."

"I'd say less where your maniac driving is concerned, and what in the world are you doing?" I teased, referring to his hair-nuzzling.

"Trying to refrain from being unbelievably inappropriate in front of a large crowd," he responded. "Australia is a very relaxed country but I doubt they'd appreciate the peep show."

I blushed and leaned heavily against him as he led me to our terminal, sitting down beside me amongst the rows of chairs.

"You're my wife," he crooned in my ear, tugging on the lobe with his lips. "And I would very much like to make love to my wife right now."

My head rolled back at his words and I placed my hand on his knee, squeezing hard. He hummed tunelessly and brushed his nose along my jaw line at the needy whimper that escaped me. "You'll have to wait until we get to the Coast," I breathed. "I have no intentions of joining the Mile High Club right now."

He chuckled. "Oh, I'll wait, but as soon as we get to the hotel, I will have you. Even if we don't make it to the bedroom," he added with a wicked smile

Uh… is it hot in here or is it just me?

The remaining 15 minutes of our layover passed quickly, the two of us stealing kisses and speaking in whispers. Edward's husky teasing never let up and I knew by the time we reached the hotel I would be a hot mess.

Finally, mercifully, they called for boarding on our flight.

I had yet to speak to an Australian and was a bit more than eager to hear the accent, so when the flight attendant directed us to our seats I couldn't hold back a tiny squeal of excitement. Edward grinned down at me as I absorbed the lilt of their words, the twang in them reminding me of Jasper's Southern drawl.

"So, how long is _this_ flight?" I questioned with a smile.

He rolled his eyes. "About an hour and a bit."

Obviously Edward had decided to come to Australia when he knew there would be cloudy weather. I asked him about the forecast and he told me there was supposed to be one or two sunny days during our stay. Right now it was calm and overcast.

Whenever we reached a break in the clouds, Edward would point out the things and places we were passing over, letting me know when we were getting closer to our destination. I got a muffin at one point, making sure I kept up regular eating habits so that I didn't find myself ravenous later tonight.

Well, ravenous for food that is.

The flight really wasn't all that long and soon enough we were flying over the Coastline, turning back toward the airport. I kept my face practically glued to the little window, looking out over the beaches, the hills and the mountains in the distance, the high-rise buildings and everything in between. It was beautiful and green, but not as green as the forests back home.

It was unbelievable.

"Quite a sight, isn't it?" Edward asked as the plane began its descent. I forced myself to yawn so that I could pop my ears.

One thing I wasn't expecting when we departed the plane was the humidity. It was warm and sticky and I knew it would take me a day or so to get used to. Thankfully I had thrown a few hair ties into our carry on bag and quickly swiped one so that I could throw my hair up into a ponytail.

I had no idea where baggage claim was but Edward seemed to know his way, leading me through the crowd of travellers to where our bags would be found.

"Stay here while I go and get our things, okay, sweetheart?" he told me, cupping my face in his hands.

I nodded and he bent down to kiss me, his lips sliding over mine far too briefly before he stepped away and into the crowd.

A middle aged woman came to stand beside me while I waited, a little girl in her arms. The child gave me a large, toothy grin and a timid wave. I smiled back.

"She's gorgeous," I complimented and the woman's eyes sparkled.

"She's my baby girl," she agreed and I gave a mental squeal at her lilting speech. "First visit here?"

I nodded. "I'm here on my honeymoon."

"You chose quite the destination," she laughed. "Where abouts are you staying?"

"I have no idea," I confessed with a laugh. "My husband has an obsession with surprises so I'll just have to wait and see."

Said husband joined us just as I finished speaking, wheeling both our suitcases behind him. "Ready to go?" he asked, smiling politely at the woman and her little girl.

"Certainly am," I said and placed my hand on his back before turning to my three minute companion. "It was nice meeting you."

"You, too," she replied. "Enjoy your honeymoon."

"Oh, we will," Edward smirked before we left, heading back out into the humid air. "Making friends already, beautiful?" he teased as we walked through the car park.

"Of course," I said with a smile. "So, are we catching a cab… or…?"

He rolled his eyes at me. "I've rented a car for two weeks, silly girl; it's right over there," he told me, nodding toward a sleek black car.

Of course.

I took my suitcase as he removed the keys from his pocket, obviously having retrieved them while I was chatting to the woman back inside. He popped the trunk and placed our bags in while I made my way around to the passenger's side of the car. I was just about to open the door when Edward started laughing.

"What?" I asked, putting my hands on my hips.

"Sweetheart, need I remind you that we're in Australia? That's the driver's side."

I looked through the tinted window and sure enough, there was the steering wheel. Blushing, I circled the car and slid into the passenger's seat, poking my tongue out at Edward as he closed the door behind me and jogged around to his side.

The drive to wherever the hell we were going was quite fun. Edward told me stories about the places they had been to as we passed them, sharing random bits of trivia and watching as I gawked, gasped and giggled at all the things I saw.

"Sea World is just over there," he continued, lifting a finger off the wheel – since his other hand was sitting on my thigh – to point at the theme park across the lake. "We can go there if you'd like."

"A theme park?" I asked, pursing my lips as he told me of the animal shows there. "Maybe."

Edward chuckled and turned off the main road, cruising down the street. "We're here," he announced before turning into the entry way to a rather luxurious looking hotel. I managed to catch sight of the name as we passed it.

"Palazzo _Versace_?" I squeaked as he turned off the engine. "Edward, are you kidding me?"

"We always stay here when we visit, it's sensational. I think you'll enjoy it, Mrs. Cullen."

I rolled my eyes at him for playing the Mrs. Cullen card, but let him off the hook. "Fine, let's go see how extravagant this place is."

He smiled and got out of the car, quickly reaching my door and opening it for me. I got out and stretched while he retrieved our bags, putting them on one of those gold trolleys you see in movies all the time.

"Edward, honestly," I scolded playfully. "We have two bags. Two. That hardly requires a trolley."

"I know, but it will take us a few minutes to check-in, so by the time we get to our room our bags will already be there and we won't have to worry about setting them down before we get to more… serious matters." His eyes sparkled with something warm and mischievous.

I trembled.

As we passed through the doors and into the foyer I realized that this wasn't a hotel, it was a freaking _palace_.

The floor under my feet was shiny marble and a delicate chandelier hovered high above my head. The far wall was nothing but glass – a reminder of the Cullen house back in Forks – that gave us a view of the large outdoor swimming pool and the condos on the other side.

"Hotel my ass," I muttered, rolling my eyes as Edward chuckled beside me.

While we waited for the man behind the desk to check us in, the air between us began to crackle, my body warming as it became all the more aware of his. We knew what would happen once we reached our room. We belonged to each other now and our bodies were desperate to consummate the union. Of course, we had been joined that way before, but never as a married couple.

Edward took the room key and turned to me and I was unable to hide my gasp of desire at the look in his eyes; heavy, warm, wanting. I was a little stunned by how quickly we had descended into such an all consuming need, but I certainly wasn't complaining.

"Come," he breathed, pulling me tight against his body as he led me across the foyer. I did not look at the scenery, instead watching his face, my stomach clenching with desire.

I distantly remembered entering an elevator and walking down a long hall before reaching the door to our room. Edward took a deep breath through his nose before unlocking the door and pushing it open.

Despite how much I wanted my vampire, I allowed myself a moment to admire the room in which we stood.

The floor in here – much like back in the foyer – was marble, two slim pillars framing the entry to the lounge room which was elegantly furnished, a dining table on the other side of the room with a large kitchen behind it. I spotted a large glass sliding door leading out onto a balcony with a beautiful view of the marina.

That was as far as I got before Edward swept me into his arms and pressed me against the door, his lips crashing into mine. The room around me disappeared and I closed my eyes, surrendering with a moan as I shoved my hands into his hair and pulled him closer. He pressed his body into mine, letting me feel the firm muscles of his torso through the double layer of our clothing. When I pulled back to breathe he kissed his way down my throat before pressing his forehead into the wood of the door, his breathing ragged in my ear.

"I want you," I whispered, hitching my leg around his narrow waist. He growled and pulled my other leg up, pressing his hips into mine. I gasped, my head falling back as I felt the evidence of his desire.

"And you shall have me, my Bella," he replied, tugging my body against his. He pushed away from the door and I heard the whistle of air rushing past me before he set me down in the middle of the bedroom. Turning me around, he pressed his nose to my shoulder, gliding it along the blade to the base of my neck and back again. I caught a glimpse of the room before my half-lidded eyes rolled back with pleasure at his touch. Another balcony, gold sheets, a mahogany wood dresser and a small table with two chairs beside it.

Edward's hands glided up and down the sides of my body and I gasped as he tugged the dress straps off my shoulders with his teeth. His cool fingers slipped under the hem of my dress and I groaned, pushing back against him. He hissed and pressed his arousal into the small of my back.

"Steady, cara mia," he soothed and my skin tingled at the new words. I would ask him about them later. "As much as I wish to see your beautiful skin, I do not want to ruin your new dress."

I whimpered longingly as he slowly tugged the dress down my body before it fluttered to the floor. Reaching behind me I found the buckle of his belt and quickly undid it, yanking the belt through the loops and throwing it to the floor before I turned in his arms and crushed my mouth to his, pressing my body shamelessly into the hard contours of his. His strong arms wound around me, his hands cupping my bottom as he yanked me closer. My hands travelled from his face, down his chest and stomach to the hem of his shirt which I quickly pulled up and over his head, running my hands along the smooth skin as it was revealed to me.

"Edward, please," I gasped, fumbling with the clasp of his jeans, my need driving me mad. He gently batted my hands away and did the job my shaking fingers could not before pushing the denim down his legs and stepping out of the clothing that had now joined my dress on the floor.

"My wife," he growled, leading me toward the bed. The backs of my knees hit the mattress and I willingly tumbled back, pulling him over me. "Oh, how I want you."

"And you shall have me," I gasped as he sucked on my neck, repeating his words from mere minutes ago.

"I shall," he agreed before rising to his knees and pulling me with him, his fingers finding the clasp of my bra. Deftly he undid it and slid the flimsy garment off my arms, dipping down to suck a nipple into his mouth.

"_Oh!_"I pressed my hands against his neck and pulled him closer, my head falling back as he raised his hand and rolled my other nipple between his fingers. "Oh God, Edward," I moaned, shuddering at the husky growl that vibrated against my skin.

Late afternoon light escaped the clouds and filtered in through the glass doors, - which thankfully were facing the water so no one could look in and see us tangled in each other – bathing the room and Edward's body in a soft orange light. I smiled blissfully, watching as it played over his now glittering skin, each ripple of muscle as he sucked and teased my overheated flesh shooting prisms of colour against the walls.

Edward raised his head from my chest when I began to cry out, desperate for him. His eyes were dark with passion, his lips parted and chest heaving in time with mine. I leaned forward and caught him in a kiss, lying back on the bed and guiding his hands to my underwear, lifting my hips as he slid the offending garment down my legs.

"You are so much more than beautiful," he purred as he _finally_ settled the full length of his naked body over mine.

I held his face in my hands, leaning up to touch my forehead to his as I whispered the words he always longed to hear me say, "Ce coeur, il bat pour seulement vous."

He shuddered as he nestled his hips between my parted legs. "I love you, my Bella, my wife."

"I love you," I whispered, my breath hitching as he slid inside me in one smooth thrust.

Edward grunted low in his throat and buried his face in my hair as I wrapped my arms around his shoulders. For a moment all we did was lie there holding each other, lips pressing against skin in lazy kisses. I inhaled a ragged breath as we began a gentle rhythm; our movements were slow and relaxed, the urgency from earlier melting away as our bodies basked in the joy of their joining.

Turning my face into his neck I kissed his skin, my breaths shaky and uneven as our hips rocked, slowing every now and again to grind together, the two of us crying out at the sensation. I slid my hands from his shoulders, down his back and across his hips, pulling him harder against me as my body began to tingle.

"Please, please, Bella, please," he gasped as our movements quickened, the two of us within reach of our release. "Come for me, cara mia."

I whimpered and squeezed my eyes shut, tossing my head back as my body imploded with pleasure. Edward groaned, a long drawn out sound and pushed deep inside me, crushing my body to his as I arched up toward him. He pressed his face into my shoulder, his sounds of pleasure muffled against my skin.

Slowly our bodies began to settle, our mouths meeting once our cries of rapture had ceased. Edward parted my lips and slid his tongue into my mouth, gliding a hand down my body and cupping my hip in his hand, rubbing his thumb back and forth across my skin. I lost myself in his kiss and the tiny shudders and sparks that still lingered in my body as we nestled against each other.

Breaking away from his lips I looked to the window, surprised to find that it was dark outside, the city lights shining like stars across the lake, the moon glowing bright. It was easy to lose track of time when Edward and I came together this way.

"Edward?" I whispered, tilting my head back as he peppered kisses up and down my throat.

"Hmm?" he hummed contentedly.

"Earlier… you said something that I'd never heard before…"

"Cara mia?"

"Yes, that's it," I told him, running my fingers through his hair. "What does it mean?"

I felt him smile against my skin before he rolled off me to lie on his side, pulling me tight against his body and slinging my leg over his hip. "It's Italian," he began. "And it means my beloved."

"Oh, Edward," I breathed, nuzzling into him as he encased me in his arms. I kissed the skin over his still heart and his breath caught in his throat. "I am yours, totally and completely yours."

He tilted my head up and ran his nose along the length of mine, smiling blissfully.

"Mine," he sighed against my lips.

* * *

><p><strong>Aww :)<strong>

**Yes! They're in Australia! I had always intended to have them go to Aus for their honeymoon. I even hint at it in 15 Step. See if you can find it ;) The cool thing is that I grew up on the Gold Coast and actually lived five minutes away from Coolangatta airport. I've also stayed at Palazzo Versace and trust me, it really is a palace. Their suite is almost identical to the one I stayed in and you can find the photos in the Cara Mia photo album over on my blog. **

**Don't forget, I also post teasers for upcoming chapters each Tuesday, so swing by the blog if you want a sneak peek at chapter three!**

**In the meantime, why not come and say hi to me on Twitter? I talk about some really random things. I'm not even kidding. Sometimes I don't even know what I'm on about.**

**I'd love to hear your thoughts :)**


	3. Rest and Relaxation

**Hiya! -spastic waving-**

**Sorry it took me so long to get this posted. I've been out and about a lot these last few weeks and the beta has been busy and the computer has been a pain in the butt. It tends to add up after a while. Nonetheless, this update brings good news with it! Since I posted last, our computer issues have been fixed. We have sound again and I have Microsoft Word! -throws confetti- Thanks to that, I should be able to get chapters out a lot faster. Hooray!**

**As far as this chapter goes? Nothing too major. I thought I'd give these two lovebirds a chance to relax. They're gonna be doing a lot of exploring soon :) **

**In the meantime (and to make up for my late postage) here's a little conversation that Emmett and I had earlier today..**

**-flashback music-**

**Emmett: -walks in- Hey. What's up?  
>BWA: Not much. Just hanging around.<br>Emmett: -snickers-  
>BWA: -blank stare- How is that dirty?<br>Emmett: It just is.  
>BWA: .. Is everything dirty to you?<br>Emmett: Sure. Give me a word and I'll make it dirty.  
>BWA: -thinks- Uhh.. iPod.<br>Emmett: -speaks in a low, seductive voice- I'd love to play with *your* iPod.  
>BWA: That's it. I'm done. -walks out-<br>Emmett: Oh! Listen to this one! -speaks low again- Grandma's chicken salad!**

**-flashback music-**

**Yeah. You get used to it after a while... I hope. Anyway, a million and one thanks to my beta and big sister, Liz4 for making my words look all pretty and just being awesome. I love you, sis!**

**Disclaimer: It's not mine. And at this point, I'm almost willing to give Emmett back. I can only handle a certain amount of sexual innuendo! **

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter Three<br>Rest and Relaxation **_

I woke the next morning to the sound of Edward humming my lullaby, his fingers drawing meaningless patterns down my naked back. He smiled at me as my eyes opened.

"Good morning, Mrs. Cullen," he crooned, brushing the hair from my face with his free hand. "Did you sleep well?"

"Mmm, I did," I replied, stretching out along his cool body, the temperature a pleasant contrast to the humidity of the coming day. "Someone wore me out last night," I teased as his hand slipped under the sheet that was bunched up at my waist, his cool palm settling over my bottom.

"You enjoyed every minute of it," he shot back playfully, looking adorably rumpled.

I propped myself up on my elbows and leaned in to kiss him, pressing my bare chest to his as he slipped his tongue into my mouth, his fingers squeezing my backside. Unfortunately, my stomach chose that moment to rumble and I felt Edward smiling against my lips.

"Sex can wait," he chuckled. "Right now my wife needs food."

I giggled, watching as he stretched toward the bedside table to retrieve the phone and menu. After a quick browse, I settled on pancakes and orange juice, peppering kisses across Edward's chest as he dialed room service to order my breakfast.

"It'll be about fifteen minutes," he sighed happily, threading his fingers through my hair and guiding my lips to his. "You'd best go and have a shower," he mumbled against my lips.

"Don't you want to join me?" I coaxed, rolling my hips over his.

He choked out a groan and rolled us over so that he hovered above me. "You know I do, but your breakfast would be cold by the time we got out." With that he rolled off me and got out of bed, hunting for his jeans. "Now get that pretty little ass in the shower."

I laughed; he was so playful this morning. "Fine, fine," I pouted. "But those pancakes had better be good if sex with my husband is what I have to pay to eat them."

He grinned.

The bathroom was just as elegant as the rest of the suite with its marble walls, black marble sink and countertop and two large, gold framed mirrors. I spied what looked like jets in the bath and almost got in but I knew that if I did I wouldn't be willing to get out, so I got in the shower.

Ten minutes later I emerged from the bathroom, refreshed and wrapped in a fluffy white towel. Rifling through my suitcase I retrieved some undergarments and a simple yellow sundress, removing any leftover water droplets from my skin before slipping the clothing on. I made a quick dash back into the bathroom to blow dry my hair and brush my teeth before I left in search of Edward.

I slowly descended the spiral staircase – one thing I had failed to notice the night before – and made my way into the lounge room, looking back over my shoulder and into the kitchen. No sign of Edward.

"Out here, Bella."

Turning on my heel to face the now wide open glass doors, I spotted Edward out on the balcony, sitting at the table with my breakfast in front of him.

"I was wondering where you had disappeared to," I told him as I crossed the room and joined him outside.

He smiled and patted his legs, wrapping his arms around me as I sat sideways on his lap, my left arm around his neck. "I thought you might like to eat your breakfast outside," he explained.

"And what about you?" I teased. "What are you going to eat for breakfast?"

"Oh, I'm sure I'll find something," he purred, leaning in to nibble my neck.

My head fell back and I groaned, my fingers gripping the hair at the nape of his neck. "If you keep that up I'll never eat my breakfast," I mumbled, leaning my cheek atop his head.

He made a show of sighing dramatically against my neck, the cool air raising goose bumps on my skin. "Go on then," he huffed with a smirk.

I turned in his lap, snuggling back against his chest as his arms wound around my stomach. On my plate sat two very tasty looking pancakes covered in maple syrup and two small melting rectangles of butter on top. Eager to try them, I quickly cut a slice and popped it in my mouth, sagging against Edward as I hummed in content.

"Oh, that is divine," I moaned once I had swallowed.

"Yes it is," Edward spoke huskily in my ear and my stomach clenched.

"Down boy," I giggled, cutting another piece.

Conversation flowed easily between us as I consumed my breakfast. Edward pointed out the hot tub on the opposite end of the balcony, something I had failed to notice when I first joined him outside.

"So," I began, finishing off the last of my orange juice. "What's on the agenda for today?"

He pursed his lips in thought, twisting his fingers into the ends of my hair. "I thought you might like to relax today, get rid of any lingering jet lag."

I smiled. "That sounds… perfect."

"But of course," he continued, "tomorrow I'll take you somewhere."

"Are you going to tell me where?"

He raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, didn't think so."

x-X-x

While I waited for Edward to have a shower I decided now was as good a time as any to call my parents and new family to let them know we had arrived safely. The conversation with Charlie was brief, but he was glad to know that I was enjoying myself and hoped I planned to take photos for him to see. Renee asked about anything and everything while Phil laughed in the background.

By the time Edward joined me downstairs I was in the middle of a pleasant conversation with Esme. Jasper and Emmett had crushed one of the couches a few hours ago while they were wrestling so my mother-in-law was doing some online shopping to find a new one.

"Tell her I said hello," Edward said as he leaned against the kitchen island, running his fingers up and down my arm.

"Hello, dear," Esme laughed, having no trouble hearing her son through the phone. "Well, I suppose I had better let you two get back to your honeymoon. Thank you so much for calling."

"No worries," I told her, smiling into the receiver. "We'll call again soon, I promise."

"I love you, sweetheart," she crooned.

I felt a lump forming in my throat. "I love you, too, Esme. Say hi to everyone for me."

Edward's eyes were full of awe and adoration when I hung up the phone and turned to him. Clearing my throat I reached for him, pulling him into my arms and burying my face in his neck. I lost track of how long we stood there wrapped in each other's arms, just enjoying the feel of our bodies pressed together, fitting like puzzle pieces.

"Are you okay?" he asked when I leaned back to look at him.

"I'm fine," I assured him. "It just… took me by surprise, hearing that."

He smiled blissfully, cupping my face in his hands and rubbing his thumbs against my cheeks. "You're her daughter now, too - you'd better get used to it."

I laughed weakly and stretched up on my toes to kiss him, shuddering when he moaned against my lips.

"You are a temptress, my love," he purred before taking my hands. "And if you don't cut it out, we'll never leave this room."

"Hmm, I can't say I'm bothered by that."

Closing his eyes he shook his head with a soft smile playing on his lips. "Careful," he warned, his voice warm and silky. Nudging his nose against mine he spoke low, "I have a little something planned for today, so I would appreciate it if you let me get around to it."

"If I must," I sighed, grinning up at him.

He bent down and caught my lips in another kiss before leading me out the door and down the hall. I had thought we were heading to the lobby but instead we took an elevator that led us to a very quiet hallway.

"Edward, where are we?" I whispered as we made our way down to the desk at the other end.

"You'll see."

The woman behind the desk smiled brightly at us, her perfectly manicured nails ceasing their tapping on the keyboard of her computer. "Hello, how may I help you today?"

"My wife is booked in for a massage," Edward told her, his fingers squeezing mine.

A massage?

The woman nodded and checked something on the computer screen. "Mrs. Cullen?" she asked, looking at me. I nodded mutely. "Wonderful! I let your masseuse know you're here; just a moment and she'll be right out."

"Okay," I squeaked.

The moment the woman was out of sight I turned to Edward. "A massage, really?"

He grinned at me. "I thought it would be the easiest way for you to wind down and get rid of your tension from the flights."

I exhaled shakily. How I had ended up with such a wonderful man?

"I love you," I breathed, winding my arms around his neck and pulling his lips to mine.

"I love you, too, Bella," he replied, his fingers pressing into my hips. "Your masseuse is about to walk in," he told me, chuckling when I buried my face into his chest.

"What will you do while I'm gone?" I asked, not knowing how long I would be away from him.

"I'm sure I'll find something," he soothed, pulling my head up to kiss the tip of my nose.

"Mrs. Cullen?"

I turned to see a woman with deep red hair and hazel eyes leaning against the frame of the elegant double doors I had only just noticed. I smiled meekly before turning back to Edward.

"I'll see you soon," I told him and he kissed me once more.

"Have fun."

Leaving the comfort of Edward's arms I followed the woman through the doors, the sound of running water the first thing I picked up on. The walls were marble – I was fairly certain every room in this entire hotel had a marble element – with patterns in cream, hazelnut and soft blue. The lighting was dim and sensual, the smell of various scented oils filling my head. Oh, it was wonderful in here. There had to be a sauna in here somewhere for I could feel the brush of steam against my skin.

Passing a large, circular pool, we entered a small room with a massage table in the middle. The lighting and décor was much the same and soft music swirled outward from a stereo in the corner. I looked up as the red haired woman turned to me and held out her hand.

"I'm Nina," she introduced herself and I shook her hand.

"Bella," I replied.

"Nice to meet you, Bella." She flashed her dimples and I smiled at the sight along with her lilting speech. "So, would you mind changing out of your clothes and hopping on the table?" she asked, laughing at the flash of nerves that crossed my features. "First massage?" I nodded. "That's okay; a lot of people get iffy about stripping down. There's a towel over there if you're feeling a bit shy." She nodded toward the fluffy material. "I'll be back in just a minute, so get comfy."

"Thanks," I called as she closed the door behind her.

As I stepped out of my sundress I wondered if this was why Edward had gotten me a female masseuse. It wouldn't shock me.

Placing my folded clothes on a nearby chair I wrapped the towel around me and climbed onto the massage table, pulling my hair over my shoulder and resting my head against the built in pillow. It was so peaceful in here.

Nina returned not too long after I had found a comfortable spot and laughed when she saw my drooping eyelids. "Tired?" she snickered and I blushed.

"A little bit," I sighed, stretching a bit before settling back down. "It's my first day here so I'm still recovering from the jet lag."

"Ah," she said, popping the lid on a bottle of oil. "So, whereabouts in the States are you from?"

"Forks, Washington," I told her. "It's about three hours out from Seattle."

"Hmm, I can't say I've been there, but I have gone to Seattle," she said as she lowered the towel to the top of my butt.

"You have?" I asked, jumping at the feel of her hands on the backs of my shoulders.

"Mhm," she hummed, her fingers pressing into my skin. "My husband Chris and I spent all last year traveling the world. It was brilliant."

"It certainly sounds wonderful," I sighed, relaxing into the mattress.

"Oh, it was. I can't wait to revisit all those places again." Her palms worked a kink out of my back and I moaned in relief. "Feels good, doesn't it?" I hummed a weak response and she laughed. "Anyway, enough about me. What brings you to our side of the world?"

"Um, I'm on my honeymoon."

"Your husband is outside?" she asked, whistling low when I nodded. "Well done, honey, he seems like quite the catch."

"Oh, he is," I responded, smiling at the thought of my husband. "I don't know how I ever lived without him."

"Aw," Nina squealed and I laughed. "Sorry. I'm a hopeless romantic."

We kept up an easy conversation as she worked all the kinks, knots and tension from my muscles. I asked about all the places she had visited and the sights I should see while Edward and I were there and in return I told her about how Edward and I met and how he proposed.

By the time we were done I wasn't sure I wanted to leave.

Nina took my hands, squeezing gently. "Promise you'll come back and visit me before you go."

"Of course," I laughed, and with one last hug she led me back out into the waiting room.

Edward smiled when I came into his line of sight, the magazine in his lap long forgotten. Nina gave a wistful sigh from behind me before she jabbed me in the back and wandered back through the double doors, giggling like a fool.

"I take it you had fun," Edward chuckled, wrapping his arms around me. "You, my dear, are positively glowing."

I hummed contentedly, nuzzling against him. "It was wonderful, and my masseuse was an absolute sweetheart."

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself." He kissed the top of my head. "So, what would you like to do now?"

I glanced at the clock on the wall, surprised by how much time had passed. "Well, I'd like to grab some lunch, eat it in bed, and then make love to my husband until the sun goes down, and possibly longer." I peeked up at him through my lashes, shuddering at the sight of his lust darkened eyes. "If that's okay?"

"Oh, cara mia," he sighed. "It's more than okay."

I grinned and stole a quick kiss before taking his hand and leading him back down the hall toward the elevator.

* * *

><p><strong>Let's face it, there's nothing like a good massage. Am I right or am I right?<strong>

**I remember, when I stayed at PV, I was too young to go into the spa section. The woman behind the desk was all "Uh.. the little kids can't be in here," to which I was all "WHAAA?" Hee! If I ever go back, I'm going down there, damn it.**

**Also, I love that I'm seeing familiar names from when I posted 15 Step. It's good to see everyone again! -cuddles-**

**Well, that's about it from me. Next chapter: Elephants. What does that mean? You'll have to wait and see ;)**

**Until then, you can find a sneak peek on the blog on Teaser Tuesday, and if you feel like it, come and say hi to me on Twitter. It's very fun over there.**

**I'd love to hear your thoughts :)**


	4. Up Close and Personal

**Aaaaand we're back with another chapter :) **

**For once, I don't actually have a lot to say about this. Shocking, I know. One thing I will say is that this was a very fun chapter to write, and just for the record, I had this idea long before I read Water For Elephants. Have you read that book? If you haven't, you need to. It's beautiful.**

**ANYWAY. I won't keep you. Enjoy.**

**Cheezels and lemonade (as well as many thanks) to my amazing beta and big sister, Liz4, for making my words look pretty and letting me know when I make my American characters sound a little too Australian. Whoops. I love you!**

**Disclaimer: It's not mine, now excuse me while I go pig out on chocolate, watch girly movies and sob. Just kidding. Still... chocolate sounds good.**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter Four<br>Up Close and Personal **_

Edward woke me up ridiculously early the next day, smiling at my incoherent whining as he ushered me into the shower. Despite how much I pestered him about his intentions, he didn't say a word, merely telling me to hurry up and get ready.

We left the hotel at 8:30, me still waking up as I followed my husband out to the car.

"It's so early," I groaned, stretching in my seat as we turned onto the highway. The morning sun bathed the world around us in beautiful golden light.

"I know, sweetheart," Edward soothed, resting his hand on my thigh and squeezing apologetically. "But it's going to take us a while to reach our destination, and one of the things I have planned runs early, so I had no choice."

"Why do you never tell me what we're doing?" I questioned, turning my head toward him before leaning it against the headrest.

He peeked at me from the corner of his eye before turning back to the road. "Because I long to see the wonder and excitement on your face when you see what I have planned for you."

My heart melted. "Oh," was all I could manage,

He smiled at me and raised my hand to his lips. "Now sit back, relax and enjoy the scenery."

"What do you think I'm doing?" I said, making a show of raising my eyebrows.

Chuckling, he nodded toward the side window. "I meant _that _scenery, Bella."

x-X-x

The drive to our destination took a total of two hours, Edward stopping at one point so that I could use the bathroom and get something to eat. The suburb we ended up in was called Beerwah, located on the Sunshine Coast. My leg began to bounce in excitement and impatience when I felt the car slowing down slightly.

"Almost there," Edward said as he turned off the main road.

I sat up straighter in my seat, eager to find out where we would be spending the day. Edward purposely distracted me as we passed one of the signs by sliding his hand up my thigh. I shoved him when I realized what he had done.

Another minute or so passed before we pulled into a large parking lot, Edward cutting the engine once we found a space.

"So, where are we?" I asked impatiently.

Edward chuckled before grabbing my chin in his hand and turning my head toward the window. Not too far from where we had parked was a sign that said Entrance with an arrow beneath it, another name above both.

"The Australia Zoo?" I asked, turning back to my husband with curious eyes and a wide smile. I hadn't been to the zoo since I was a kid.

He nodded before getting out of the car and jogging around to my side, opening the door and pulling me out by the hand. Before he could get me moving, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled his lips to mine, smiling when he melted into me and pressed me into the car door.

"Don't make me throw you into the back seat," he purred, moving his mouth to my ear, flicking his tongue against the lobe.

I giggled. "Works for me."

He groaned against my skin and pulled away, grinning wickedly. "Why am I not surprised?" I shrugged and he shook his head before taking my hand and leading me toward the front gate. "Try not to trip, Mrs. Cullen," he teased. "There's somewhere we need to be."

After paying the admission fee and grabbing a map, we were off. Well, Edward was; I was too busy staring at everything.

As we walked, a thought struck me.

"Hey, Edward?"

"Hmm?" he hummed distractedly as he led me to goodness knows where.

"Are you hungry?"

He smirked and squeezed my hand. "No, love, I'm not hungry."

"But… you will be?"

"I imagine so, yes."

"So, how will you go about that while we're here?"

He pursed his lips before turning right, leading me down a thinner path with the sign 'Elephantasia' above it. "I plan to hunt once or twice before we leave," he explained. "Alice found a place for me to feed off the local game. I'll go while you're sleeping, of course."

We walked a bit further before we were abruptly swallowed by a decent sized crowd. I clutched Edward's hand and he pulled me tight to his side, kissing my hair in reassurance.

"What's going on?" I questioned as we wove through the throng of chattering people.

"The elephants are being fed," he told me, leaning down so that I could hear him. "They usually let the onlookers feed them, too, so all the tourists head over to watch."

I looked around, trying to peek over the crowd to catch a glimpse of the elephants, but it was no use. While I wasn't quite Alice short, I wasn't all that tall, either.

We escaped the crowd and continued on, passing through a restricted zone to the door at the back of the exhibit. I considered reminding him that we weren't allowed to be back here but I was sure he would say that he knew what he was doing.

Not too long after Edward knocked on the door, a young man opened it, smiling kindly at us.

"Can I help you?" he asked politely.

"I'm Edward Cullen; I called last week?"

Recognition flickered across the young man's face. "Oh, of course!" he exclaimed, stepping to the side to allow us passage. "Come right in."

"Thank you," Edward replied, leading me in after him.

"What on earth have you planned?" I spoke in his ear as the man dashed off to find the zookeeper.

"You'll find out," he told me, chuckling when I made a show of rolling my eyes.

The room we were in was very simple - white walls, stainless steel sinks, and white tables with buckets, towels, fruit and vegetables and all sorts of other things on them. There was a window running along the front wall that allowed us the perfect view into the elephants' enclosure. A large pool cut across the middle of the enclosure with lush gardens and plenty of space and shade.

"Where are the elephants?" I asked, peeking around the side as if to find them hiding there.

"They're out in the show enclosure still," a new voice answered and I turned towards the sound, spotting a woman with dirty blonde hair tied up in a ponytail standing beside the young man from before. She wore khakis and an olive green shirt with _Australia Zoo _printed on the breast pocket. "They'll be back in their regular enclosure in about five minutes." Stepping forward, she held out her hand for Edward and me to shake. "I'm Kimbra and this is our newest recruit, Matt," she added, gesturing to the brunette beside her.

"Nice to meet you," I said, smiling at the pair.

She dipped her head in acknowledgement. "So, you're Mr. and Mrs. Cullen?" she asked.

"We certainly are," Edward confirmed.

"Fantastic," she said before motioning for us to follow her. "First things first, there are one or two little things I need to go over with you before we head on out into the enclosure. It's been a while since the girls have had one on one time with any visitors, so this is as exciting for them as it is for you."

"Excuse me?" I squeaked, looking from Kimbra to Edward with wide eyes. Matt, who was now cutting up various fruits and vegetables, watched with an amused gaze.

"Surprise," Edward said quietly, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

"We're going out into the enclosure?" I asked excitedly. "Really?"

Kimbra laughed. "I take it you didn't know?"

I shook my head, hugging my arms around Edward's torso. "No, he's quite fond of surprises," I explained, grinning like an absolute fool.

Once I had recovered from the shock of my surprise, Kimbra gave us the low down on the three elephants we would be meeting. They were Asian elephants – Kimbra pointed out the giant feature statue of Ganesh, the Hindu elephant god out in the enclosure – and were named Siam, Sabu, and Bimbo. I tried my best not to laugh at the last name.

Basically, we would be spending a half hour with these three beautiful creatures, indulging in a private feeding session as we got to know them. I was practically vibrating with excitement when Kimbra let us know that the girls were being led back into their original enclosure.

"You ready?" Edward asked as we followed the two zookeepers outside.

I nodded giddily. "Thank you for doing this for me," I whispered and his eyes softened.

"I will forever do anything to make you smile," he breathed and pressed his lips to my forehead.

As we stepped out into the warm summer air, the gates between the private and public enclosure opened and two other zookeepers stepped through. I gasped as the elephants followed them through, their steps slow and relaxed.

"Oh, they're beautiful," I whispered.

Kimbra turned to me, her eyes sparkling with pride. "Amazing creatures, aren't they?"

I could do nothing more than nod, watching as the smallest of the three tapped her trunk against her sister's flank, trumpeting playfully.

After closing the gates, the other zookeepers left and Kimbra urged us forward, calling to the girls the closer we got. We stayed with Matt, walking slowly as Kimbra patted each of the girls in turn, her palm thumping against their sides.

"Bella, do you want to come and say hello?" she asked, waving me over. When I reached her she spoke again. "This is Sabu," she said before whistling for Matt who threw her an apple. She handed it to me with a wide smile. "Now, hold your hand out with the apple resting on your palm and she'll do the rest."

Following the instructions I was given, I held my arm out, the apple sitting on my open palm. Sabu spotted the fruit and shifted her weight, leaning toward me as she stretched her trunk out. I couldn't help but laugh in delight as she wrapped the end of her trunk around the fruit, her rough skin brushing against my fingers. Depositing the food in her mouth, she chewed happily, reaching her trunk out toward me again.

"Go on," Kimbra encouraged as Sabu nudged her long nose against my stomach. "Say hello."

Staring up at the creature before me in absolute wonder, I pulled her trunk to my chest, wrapping my left arm around the back of it and gently stroking the front with my right hand. Sabu stepped closer and gave a small trumpet, the sound vibrating against my ribcage.

"Well done, Bella," Kimbra praised, now standing beside the smaller elephant, who I soon learned was Bimbo. I looked on in shock as, with some help from Matt, she hoisted herself up and on to the creature's back.

"She's been working with these three for years," Matt explained once he joined me again, leading Edward over to Siam. "They love her, so seeing her on their backs is nothing short of ordinary."

I nodded, watching as she urged Bimbo forward, her body rocking in rhythm to the elephant's steps.

Edward grinned at me as he mimicked my pose, wrapping his arm around Siam's trunk and stroking smoothly. I had to bite my tongue to refrain from asking if I could stroke _his _trunk sometime.

Once we had met each of the elephants in turn, we fed them the fruit and vegetables that Matt had cut up for them before leading them down to the pool for some fun in the water. Edward and I watched as the three splashed and sprayed each other, trumpeting happily.

"I think she's taken a liking to you," Matt commented as I once again stood with Sabu, my left arm around her trunk as I rubbed her forehead with my hand, stretching up on my toes so that I could reach.

I smiled happily, pressing my lips together before blowing air out from between them. Sabu bobbed her head before responding with a loud trumpet.

Edward, who had thought to bring my digital camera along with him, snapped photo after photo for me to look back on later. I was certain almost all of them would contain Sabu, who followed me everywhere I went.

All too soon our half hour was up and it was time for us to leave so that the elephants could rest. We took a few more photos will all three of the girls and the zookeepers before saying our goodbyes, me tightly hugging Sabu's trunk once more before we left the enclosure.

"So, how was that?" Edward asked as we made our way back into the main square.

"It was…" I struggled to find a way to explain how I was feeling. "I have no words, Edward," I sighed. "In all my life I never imagined myself getting up close and personal with such beautiful animals. I can't thank you enough."

He smiled, ceasing our walking so that he could pull me close, burying his face in my hair. "You looked so happy," he whispered. "And personally, I think Sabu is going to miss you."

I laughed and leaned away so that I could look into his golden eyes. "If I could take her home with me, I would."

He grinned. "We'll have to come back and visit her one day."

I nodded in agreement before pulling him down and pressing his forehead to mine. "I have to admit, seeing you interact with those elephants was… well, it was pretty sexy."

"Oh, really?" he murmured, his voice heavy with the promise of something wonderful.

"Mhm," I managed, nudging my nose against his. I almost made another trunk stroking remark but held my tongue, finding a better use for it as Edward slid his between my lips.

x-X-x

"So, where to next?" I asked Edward who sat across from me at the small café table. "I swear we've seen everything there is to see here."

And it was true; we had been to every animal exhibit they had. We'd seen camels, cheetahs, giraffes, and tigers, as well as hitting up the exhibits of the animals only found in Australia: dingoes, wombats, kangaroos, koalas and some strange little creatures called Tasmanian devils. They were black and white and incredibly noisy when threatened.

Edward also took me to a place called The Crocoseum, which was the zoo's pride and joy. The founder - a man by the name of Steve Irwin who unfortunately passed away after being injured by a Sting Ray barb on the set of his newest documentary back in 2006 – was known all around Australia as 'The Crocodile Hunter' and the Crocoseum had been his biggest ambition. I asked Edward about Steve as we made our way to the Crocodile show; he told me that Steve's wife Terri now ran the zoo, their two young children Bindi and Robert appearing in several shows here.

"Well, I thought you might like to visit the gift shop and pick up a few souvenirs," Edward replied, watching as I finished off the last of my lunch. "Then we could head back to the hotel."

We ended up spending almost half an hour in the gift shop, Edward reminding me that money was not an object and that I could get whatever I wanted. It's not that I was opposed to the idea of being wealthy, I just wasn't used to it. So it was safe to say that the idea of spending hundreds of dollars in a zoo gift shop – because let's face it, I'd totally do that – was a little intimidating.

I left with nothing more than three Elephant plush toys, each made after Siam, Sabu and Bimbo.

* * *

><p><strong>Yay, elephants!<strong>

**Unfortunately, I haven't been to Australia Zoo. According to Liz, we have to road trip it there one day. Woo hoo! Siam, Sabu and Bimbo (seriously, how can you not laugh?) are the actual elephants there at the zoo and they do have feeding sessions for the public. How cool is that?**

**Next chapter: We're going swimming. There might even be a lemon in there, too. Maybe. Probably ;)**

**If you want a sneak peek, make sure you swing by the blog for Teaser Tuesday. And of course, I'm always hanging out on Twitter. It's fun.**

**I'd love to hear your thoughts :)**


	5. Bloom

**Ohai :) **

**I won't keep you long. Just wanted to say a quick thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed and put this story on alert. I adore you. -hands out chocolates and cuddles-**

**Another thing, has anyone else been watching the Breaking Dawn TV spots on Youtube? Are you as excited as I am? **

**Ahem. Moving on.**

**First scene is a lemon, and it's a bit intense. Just saying.**

**Love and chocolate covered strawberries for my beta and big sister, Liz4 for making my words look pretty and reminding me that if I know the proper term and spelling for something, I have to use it, no matter how embarrassing it may be. I love you!**

**Disclaimer: It's not mine. Shut up already.**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter Five<br>Bloom **_

The room was still dark when my eyes opened, pure, carnal need crushing my chest, constricting so severely that I found it hard to breathe.

"Bella?" Edward asked, his voice shaking along with my body. "What's wrong?"

I could only whimper in response, reaching for him desperately.

Recognition lit his features. "Oh, my love," he breathed, his eyes soft. "I know, beautiful girl, I know."

This wasn't the first time we'd found ourselves in this situation. It happened on occasion; our need for each other strong enough to rouse me from my sleep, a desire so fierce, so desperate that I ached until we were joined.

Sitting up, Edward crushed me against his chest as my hips moved over his upper thigh, my sex sliding against his skin, needing contact, needing friction.

He moaned brokenly and his head fell back, his hands gliding over my bare skin. It was frightening at times, this intensity. The fear that we would cease to exist if this need remained unfulfilled, that we would be consumed by it and lost to the world forever. I couldn't explain it properly even if I tried, and instead, I let it take over me body and soul because deep in my heart, this love, this need, was all I knew.

I could just make out Edward's face in the limited light we had, and I could see the desire in his features, the desperation in his eyes. The darkness of the room embraced us, sheltered us and hid us from the outside world. Nothing could touch us here.

Edward's hand slipped over my stomach and down to where I was still rocking against his thigh. He felt the wetness there and snarled low in his throat. Cupping my hip – his other hand buried in my hair – he stretched his thumb and pressed it against my clit, moving it in small, determined circles.

I buried my face in his neck and squeezed my eyes shut, my body convulsing at his touch. My legs clamped down around his thigh as I rocked harder, his touch throwing me into limbo.

"Edward," I choked out. "Oh _God!_"

Not willing to waste another minute he lifted me off his leg, groaning at the sight of his skin glistening with wet, and moved me up onto his lap, crushing his mouth to mine as he lowered me onto him, sliding easily inside my body.

I broke away from his lips, a hoarse cry tearing up my throat and out as he filled me, stretched me beautifully. Bracing my hands on his shoulders, I rose up onto my knees before dropping back down again, shuddering at the guttural moan that escaped my husband.

It didn't take us long to establish a rhythm, Edward gripping my hips and guiding me over him, my bare chest rubbing against his with each up and down motion. Brushing a strand of hair away from my face, I pressed my forehead against Edward's and stared deep into his eyes.

"I love you," I breathed, jerking as a stab of pleasure burst in my stomach.

He released a long breath and began thrusting up into me, the added power overwhelming my already high strung body.

"Oh," I sighed, my eyes closing for the briefest of moments.

"I love you," Edward whispered before leaning down and sucking at the flesh between my breasts. He moved me faster over him and my head fell back. "Oh God!" he cried as my body tightened, bracing itself for release.

I bit down hard on my bottom lip, grinding firmly against him, feeling his pubic bone rub against my clit. Wrapping my arms around him, I buried my hands in his hair, kissing, sucking and biting at his skin.

"Nnnnh!" I managed, my moan muffled against the cool skin of his neck. "E-Edward," I stammered, curling into him. "I'm… I'm going to cum."

"_Fuck_," he hissed, licking the shell of my ear. "Don't hold back, love. Let me feel you."

My body obeyed, imploding at his command. I clutched him desperately, pressing against him as I convulsed madly, jerking and throbbing, trembling and crying. Edward kept up his feverish pace, his breaths jagged. Grabbing his face in my hands I kissed him roughly. "Cum for me," I whispered against his lips.

He arched into me, pulling me down until I was seated on his lap. "Oh God, Bella, oh, _oh God!_"

We clung to each other fiercely, our chests heaving as we came down from our respective orgasms. Edward's arms were cool and firm around me, his lips pressing absentminded kisses against my shoulder.

I exhaled shakily, the need that had roused me from my slumber now calm and sated. I could breathe again.

Leaning back Edward looked me in the eyes, a soft smile playing on his lips. I smiled back and reached up, rubbing my thumb along his eyebrow before tracing my fingers down his nose, across his cheek and over his mouth.

"I love you," I whispered, tears pooling in my eyes.

He sighed and cupped my face in his hands. "I love you, my Bella. More than I could possibly put into words."

"I know exactly how you feel," I said softly before leaning in to kiss him.

We remained that way, wrapped up in each other, kissing and whispering words of affection that weren't nearly enough as the sun rose outside our window.

x-X-x

The first week of our honeymoon passed in a blur; an exquisite, surreal blur. On days where we didn't have anything planned we'd get in the car and just drive, stopping when we wanted to. We went down to the beach, to the local shopping centres, forest trails, anything and everything.

Today was the first sunny day of our two weeks here and there was supposed to be another one a few days before we were set to leave. I closed the thinner curtains but kept the thick ones open, wanting to let the sun in anywhere I could. We were on the water anyway; no one was going to see Edward other than me.

And that's the way, uh-huh uh-huh, I like it, uh-huh uh-huh.

Edward looked up from where he sat at the dining room table, laptop in front of him. I grinned at him and he smiled back before getting back to whatever it was he was doing. An errant ray of sun snuck into the room, reflecting off his skin and throwing prisms of light onto every surface of the room.

I sighed wistfully, looking forward to the day – not so far from now – when I would be able to do that.

While the Roadrunner on steroids - also known as Alice - planned our wedding, Edward and I had been busy planning an event of our own.

My change.

Edward wasn't opposed to the idea in the slightest. He knew that this was what I wanted, and he wanted it as well. So, why fight fate?

Carlisle decided that it would be best for me to be changed away from Forks. So, when we returned from our honeymoon we would be moving to New Hampshire. Esme had found a place up in the mountains, far from any civilization. I hadn't seen it yet, but was constantly being told that it was beautiful. I couldn't wait to see it.

One thing I wasn't looking forward to was saying my goodbyes to my parents. I knew I wouldn't be able to see them once I was changed and that eventually I'd have to cease the contact I planned to keep for the first year or so. I knew that they'd be okay, though. Every parent has to let their child go… not necessarily so that they can go off and be turned into a vampire, of course, but still.

I understood the reasoning and I accepted it. I knew I'd be sad for a little while, but Charlie and Renee would know that I was happy and that would be enough. And it's not like I'd completely shut them out. I would always keep track of them.

Wow. That's a little stalkerish.

"What are you thinking about?" Edward asked, having moved from the table to stand in front of me at the kitchen counter, hoisting me up and onto the countertop before moving to stand between my now parted legs.

"My change," I told him with an excited smile.

"Ah," he sighed, his lips twitching. "I was just reading an email from Carlisle about that."

"Really?"

"Mhm," he hummed, nudging his nose against mine. "Mainly about whether or not we should bother with morphine, and then when exactly we're going to leave Forks."

"Morphine?" I questioned, my brows furrowing. "You think it'd help with the pain?"

"To begin with, maybe," he replied. "But once the venom is in your system the morphine will burn off within minutes, seconds perhaps. It travels through your system a lot faster than a sedative."

I nodded. "And what about the move?"

"Well," he began, pulling me against him and smiling blissfully. "Esme, Alice and Rose have been getting furniture delivered to the new house and are going to set it all up within the next few days. There's nothing for us to wait on really."

"Charlie knows that we're moving once we get back, but I'd like to have a day or two to spend with him first, if that's alright?"

"Of course, sweetheart," he said, kissing the tip of my nose. "You take all the time you need."

I wrapped my arms around his neck and exhaled. "You know, I thought you'd be kind of sad about all this. Or worried at the very least. I mean, your wife is going to be a human bonfire for three days only to wake up as one of the undead. That doesn't upset you at all?"

He shook his head. "I'm filled with nothing but joy knowing that you want to spend eternity with me. Of course, I'd take out the pain factor if I could. It's not fun."

"I didn't think it would be," I chuckled and pulled him down for a quick kiss. "Hey, Edward?" I whispered, rubbing my lips back and forth against his.

"Hmm?" he hummed, his eyes closed in contentment.

"I love you."

He smiled and kissed me again. "I love you, too."

We were silent for a few moments, just enjoying each other's company. My face was nestled in the crook of Edward's neck and his skin smelled so alluring. Unable to help myself, I pressed a soft, open mouthed kiss on the spot where, if he were human, his pulse would have been thrumming steadily.

"Mmm," he moaned appreciatively, gasping when I dragged my tongue along his cold flesh. In a second we went from the kitchen to the bedroom and I squealed as he threw me down onto the bed.

x-X-x

"I can't get over how beautiful this place is," I sighed as the car sped down a quiet road lined with trees and rolling green hills.

Edward chuckled and turned to look at me, his eyes sparkling gold thanks to the hunt he had gone on the night before. "Wait until you see where we're headed," he told me with a soft squeeze of my thigh.

I rested my hand over his, twining our fingers before I leaned over to kiss his shoulder.

We were set to fly home in three days, so we were making our best effort to leave the hotel and cram in some more sightseeing. Edward had told me about a place called Currumbin Rock Pools that was about an hour drive from the hotel. Intrigued, I had asked him if we could go and check it out.

"Do you think there will be many people there?" I asked, drawing patterns on Edward's cold arm while I watched the scenery whiz by.

"Maybe one or two," he replied. "It's mainly weekends when this place gets busy."

Edward turned off the main road about two hundred metres later, cruising into a small gravel parking lot. I perked up, looking around excitedly, but the numerous trees around us severely limited my line of sight. Edward smiled at me before getting out of the car and doing his usual let-me-get-the-door-for-you routine.

"Where are the rock pools?" I asked as I rose from my seat, burying my face in his shirt and breathing in his scent.

"Just through the trees," he answered in a whisper, stroking my back. "Come on."

We followed a path to the side of the parking lot that led us through the tall standing trees. The further we walked, the more I heard. The rustle of the leaves in the breeze, soft bird calls, and the pleasant sound of rushing water.

"Oh my god," I gasped as we reached the end of the path.

This place was more of a lagoon than a collection of rock pools, that was for sure. To the far right was a small stream that trickled into a large pool of water surrounded by a cliff face covered in trees and vines. And the water was so _clear_. The trees that arced above our heads cast intricate shadows on the still water, patterns forming where the light seeped through the leaves.

"Oh, Edward," I breathed as he led me down to the water's edge. I noticed, somewhat absentmindedly, that we were the only ones here.

Goody.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" he said softly, as if making too much noise would shatter the perfection of this wonderful place. "Esme loves it here."

"I can definitely see why."

He stepped closer, wrapping his arms around me and peppering my face with kisses. "Would you like to go for a swim?" he murmured against my skin.

"Hmm?" I managed, dazed by the feel of his lips on my jaw.

Chuckling, he parted his lips and licked at my neck as he reached for the hem of my sundress, slowly inching it up my body before pulling it over my head, revealing the bikini I wore underneath.

"Swim with me?" he asked again, licking my lips.

"Mmm…" I moaned softly into his kiss, fiddling with his shirt. "I'd love to."

Edward's shirt was quick to join my dress on the grass, leaving him in a pair of black board shorts. Stepping carefully, I followed him onto the smooth rocks at the water's edge, giggling when he lifted me into his arms and eased us into the clear liquid. The water was a bit cold and I squealed as it came into contact with my skin.

Gliding gently into deeper water, Edward removed his hands from my skin, letting my body float atop the surface. I sighed peacefully, my body now adjusted to the temperature of the water. "This is nice," I whispered, looking to Edward only to find that he wasn't there. Confused, I straightened up, my legs kicking slowly under the water to keep me afloat. "Edward?"

I squealed when a cool hand grasped my ankle before sliding up my leg and yanking, pulling the rest of my body under the water. The momentum forced the air from my lungs as I kicked and fought against the hands that grasped at my skin, unable to keep the large smile from my face. When a pair of icy lips pressed against mine, my body stilled, my lips parting as Edward breathed chilled air into my mouth. I felt his arms wrap around me before we broke the surface, smiling like fools.

Breaking away from his lips I inhaled the clean, crisp air before opening my eyes and smacking his shoulder. "That wasn't funny," I scolded.

"It was a little funny," he replied, raising an eyebrow at the smile on my face.

I rolled my eyes as I wound my arms around his neck. "Okay, it was pretty funny."

The day passed in much the same manner, the two of us swimming, splashing at each other, exploring and stealing kisses whenever we felt like it. Edward had been thoughtful enough to pack me some lunch that I ate when my stomach began to growl in protest.

By the time late afternoon rolled around we were back in the water, wrapped around each other as we floated aimlessly, the small waves our movements made lapping at our bodies. I lifted my head from Edward's shoulder to take in the blissful expression on his face. My eyes locked onto a water droplet and followed it as it rolled from his eyebrow, down his nose, over his lips, off his chin and onto his chest before disappearing into the lagoon that surrounded us. Bending down I pressed my lips to his chest, feeling desire blossoming in my stomach. Confused, I leaned back and pressed my hands against his shoulders, my brows furrowed.

"What's on your mind, sweetheart?" Edward asked, his head tilting to the side as he took in my expression.

I exhaled a long breath as my mind worked to string my explanation together. "I'm just…" I trailed off, shrugging my shoulders. "I was just wondering… is it normal for people to love this fiercely? To want their partner so much, constantly?" I thought back to our coming together at dawn, my body tingling as it recollected the crippling need that had grasped me in its iron fist.

The look on Edward's face told me he was thinking about it, too. "I can't speak for human relationships, but this is very much the norm for mated vampires."

"It is?" I asked, curious.

He nodded, holding my jaw in his hands and running his thumbs along my cheeks. "When change occurs for a vampire, it is permanent and unwavering. So when I fell in love with you, I fell hard and forever."

"How do you explain what happened this morning? I can't begin to tell you how it feels for me."

A soft smile lit up his heartbreakingly beautiful face. "My theory is that your human body can't handle so much emotion all the time, so you release it in bursts."

"Overwhelming, intense bursts," I murmured, pressing my forehead hard against his.

He hummed in agreement. "Once you're like me, beautiful girl, your mind will be able to wrap itself around this feeling, to embrace it in its entirety. It never fades; if anything it gets stronger every day."

I smiled, crushing myself against him. "I'm so ready for this life, Edward, I can't even…" I exhaled heavily and his arms tightened around me.

"I know, Bella," he whispered, pressing his lips against my bare shoulder. "God, I know."

* * *

><p><strong>This was another really fun chapter for me to write, as I've been to Currumbin Rock Pools many, many times. It was somewhere I really wanted to have them visit. You can find photos of the gorgeous scenery there in the Cara Mia photo album.<strong>

**Next chapter: It's the last day in Australia and Edward has one more surprise up his sleeve. **

**Don't forget to swing by the blog on Teaser Tuesday to get a sneak peek at chapter six, and I'm always on Twitter if you want to say hello.**

**As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts :)**


	6. Come Fly With Me

__**Can you believe it's our last chapter in Australia? It's been so much fun having these two explore the place where I grew up, but I can't get all mopey just yet. Edward still has one more surprise left, after all! **

**In case you were wondering, this story has a total of eleven chapters, so we're already half way through! Don't worry, there's still lots of cool stuff to look forward to. Bella isn't a vampire yet ;)**

**One more thing. Have I told you that you're awesome? Well you are. **

**Major thanks to my amazing beta and big sister, Liz4 for making my words look pretty and not finding it too weird that I've been rhyming the email titles whenever I send her a new chapter to edit. Six was a hard one, though. Got anything yet? Yeah, me neither. I love you!**

**There's a lemon at the end of this chapter. Just thought I'd warn you :)**

**Disclaimer: It's not mine. **

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><p><em><strong>Chapter Six<br>Come Fly With Me **_

"Can I look now?"

"Not yet."

"How about now?"

"Did you nag your parents like this when you were younger?"

"Maybe."

"It wouldn't shock me."

"Smart ass. But seriously, can I look now?"

"No."

I sighed as Edward led me toward our destination with his hands over my eyes. It was the last day of our honeymoon and my husband had one more surprise hidden up his sleeve. I had tried to finagle a detail or two from him, but to no avail. He was either immune to my puppy dog eyes or he just pretended not to notice.

I'd go with the latter.

My puppy dog eyes were the shit.

"Can I pretty please look now?" I asked when Edward began to slow.

"I highly doubt the physical appearance of the please will change anything," he chuckled into my ear. "But yes, Bella, you can look now."

It took a moment for my eyes to adjust and focus on what was in front of me once Edward moved his hands from my face, but when they did I swear they bugged out of my head like they do in the old Warner Brothers cartoons.

Resting proudly on a large launch pad was a blue helicopter with _Sea World Helicopters _printed on the side.

I could do nothing more than blink and gape like an absolute moron. "It's a helicopter."

"Yes it is," Edward chuckled.

"A very big helicopter."

"Mhm."

"Does it have anything to do with your surprise?"

He pressed his lips to my temple. "This _is _the surprise," he said, nuzzling his nose into my hair. "We're going on a scenic tour of the coast."

I looked up at him, now grinning widely. "Are you serious?"

He nodded and tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. "I thought it would be a nice way to end our trip."

Taking his face in my hands, I pulled his lips to mine and kissed him sweetly, my heart flipping in my chest when I felt him smile against my lips. "It's perfect. Thank you, Edward."

The sound of a door opening popped the bubble we had huddled into and we both turned to see a man in his mid-to-late twenties exit the small building not too far from the launch pad. He raised his chin in question and Edward waved him over, silently communicating that we were the people he was looking for.

"Mr. and Mrs. Cullen?" he asked politely, his blue eyes kind and welcoming. With his blonde hair and tanned skin, I couldn't help but wonder if he surfed in his spare time.

"That's us," Edward replied.

"Pleasure to meet you. I'm Elliot and I'll be your pilot today." He quickly shook Edward's hand and then mine. "So, before we can get you up in the air, there are a few basic safety precautions we need to go over. Boring, I know, but it's part of my job description." He pulled a face and I couldn't help but laugh.

x-X-x

"Have you ever been in a helicopter before?" I asked Edward as he strapped me into my seat. Elliot was in the pilot's seat flicking switches and speaking to someone through his headset. We each wore one so that we could communicate over the sound of the rotor blades that were currently beginning to spin.

"Silly girl," he chuckled, static crackling quietly in my ears through the headphones as he fell silent. "I've flown one."

"Why am I not surprised?"

"You two all set back there?" Elliot asked, looking at us over his shoulder.

"Yeah, we're good to go," Edward replied, leaning back in his seat and taking my hand.

"Up, up and away," I heard Elliot murmur as the helicopter rose slowly and smoothly into the open air.

When Edward said that we were taking a scenic tour, I never would have guessed that we'd be up in a helicopter for almost two and a half hours. We flew over Sea World – which was right by where we took off – before heading back towards Surfers Paradise. I remembered Edward telling me about that place while we were driving to our hotel from the airport. It was quite a popular tourist location and when we flew over it, I could definitely see why.

Surfers Paradise was right on the beachside with large high rise buildings – including a particularly gigantic one called the Q1 that Elliot pointed out to us – and various cafés, hotels, motels and shopping centres. I could see people walking along the beachfront and young children jumping and waving in hopes that the people inside the large flying machine would see them and wave back.

Then it was through Burleigh Heads and Currumbin Valley before we found ourselves back at Tweed Heads and flying over Coolangatta airport. My stomach clenched at the sight. I wasn't ready to leave this beautiful place.

Edward must have felt me tense for he leaned in close and kissed my shoulder. "We can come back whenever you'd like, cara mia."

I sighed and turned my head to look at him. "I know, but this trip has just been so magical. I'm not ready for it to be over." I gave him a sad smile and he stroked his fingers down my cheek.

"I know exactly what you mean."

My stomach was snarling up a storm by the time we touched down on the launch pad back in Main Beach, so Edward took me to a local café for lunch while we waited for our flight DVD to be put together.

I had completely forgotten about the four video cameras that had been rigged up inside the helicopter. They were aimed at every possible angle so that we wouldn't miss a thing when we watched it back in Forks. It warmed my heart knowing I had that little memento.

"So, what do you want to do tonight?" Edward asked as he drove us back to the hotel, our DVD resting in its case on the dashboard.

"I was going to call Alice, actually. It's been a while since we've been in touch with them." We shared a smile, not feeling guilty in the least. "And then I was thinking about spending some time in the hot tub out on the balcony." I slid my hand over the centre console and onto his thigh. "You're more than welcome to join me."

"Trust me," he purred, shooting me a heated glance. "I will."

x-X-x

"What on earth are you doing in there?" I called from my spot amongst the bubbles. It was close to 10:30 and I had spent the last 20 minutes alone in the jacuzzi while Edward chatted up a storm with his siblings. He had hung up not too long ago but he stillhadn't joined me.

"Be patient, Mrs. Cullen," he teased, his voice growing louder as he neared the double glass doors. I smiled when he emerged onto the balcony, a bucket of ice with a large bottle nestled inside in one hand and two towels in the other. "I'm coming."

"Not without me you aren't."

He raised an eyebrow at me before chuckling low. The sound wriggled through the air and took up residence in my bones, turning them to mush. Oh, how I loved the sound of his voice.

I watched as my husband pulled his shirt up and over his head, revealing his sculpted torso before he climbed into the warm water in the board shorts he had put on earlier. "This is nice."

"Mmm," I hummed, gliding through the water and cuddling up against him. "Do we really have to leave tomorrow?"

He kissed my hair. "Bella, if you want to stay longer then we'll stay longer. But we do need to get back in time for the move." He didn't sound serious in the slightest, but he had a point.

"You really meant what you said earlier, about coming back whenever?" I asked.

"Of course I meant it, sweetheart."

"Good." I smiled before looking over my shoulder. "What was in the bucket you brought out here?"

"Oh," he said, as if he had completely forgotten. "I thought you might like to try some Australian wine." At my raised eyebrow he elaborated. "White wine, Bella."

"Sounds good." I wasn't much of a fan of the red stuff. A bit too strong for my tastes.

Edward stretched up and reached for the bottle and a glass that I hadn't seen before popping the cork and pouring some of the sparkling liquid in. He swirled the liquid around in the glass for a moment and adopted a very serious looking face before shoving it under his nose and sniffing. Grimacing, he passed it to me. "I'm sorry, but that just doesn't smell good."

I took a delicate sniff and laughed at him. "It smells fine, Edward. You're just a wuss with a bad sense of smell."

"Oh really? Well then, remind me to make you sniff a glass of wine after your change."

"You're on," I laughed before taking a sip. Vanilla and something that tasted a bit like melon, or was it peach? Either way, it was delicious and I was quick to tip the glass up to my lips again. "So, what were you talking about in there?"

"Mainly the move," he replied, looking out over the marina. "The furniture Alice and Esme ordered has been delivered and set up in the new house, and Emmett and Rosalie have made a few trips up there to drop off any personal things we wanted to take with us."

"That was nice of them," I said as a flutter of excitement went off in my stomach. I still couldn't believe that everything was done. All that was left was for Edward and me to get back to Forks and for me to say goodbye to my friends and family. It was all a bit surreal. By this time next week, we'd be living in New Hampshire and I would most likely be changing into a vampire.

I was both nervous and incredibly excited.

"Good?" Edward asked, watching as I licked my lips after taking another sip of wine.

I nodded. "It's delicious. Thank you for getting it for me." He smiled and leaned down to kiss me.

We spent the next half hour or so just lounging in the tub, laughing, kissing and watching the lights of the city as they flickered and shone against the blackness of the sky. As Edward's hand - now warmed by the water - drifted lazily up and down my side, a burst of warmth slithered through my veins and my stomach clenched with desire.

"Edward?"

"Hmm?"

"It's still our honeymoon, you know," I began, stroking my hand back and forth over his stomach while I held my other - along with my wine glass - above the water.

"It is," he said in a low voice, with just a hint of mischief.

"And do you know what it is couples do on their honeymoon?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow at him as he lifted me onto his lap.

He pursed his lips and made a show of thinking hard. "Why, I can't say that I do, Mrs. Cullen. Would you care to enlighten me?"

I drained the contents of my glass before setting it on the small table beside the jacuzzi. "Well, I don't have much knowledge when it comes to honeymoons, but from what I've experienced, couples on their honeymoon tend to take lots of photos."

Edward grinned at me, his hands sliding up the backs of my thighs. "Is that all?"

I shook my head, moving my hands to his neck. "I've also noticed that they do a lot of sightseeing."

"Really?" he asked in mock surprise. "I never would have guessed. Is there anything else they do?"

"They also call their families every once in a while," I said, trying my best not to start giggling. The two glasses of wine that I had consumed had finally made it to my head. Safe to say I was feeling pleasantly buzzed.

"Hmm," he purred, running his nose along my jaw. "Do you think they kiss at all?"

"It's possible," I murmured, tilting my head so that I could rub my lips softly over his in a whisper of a kiss. "Shall we try it and see what the verdict is?"

"Absolutely," he breathed before taking my face in his hands and crushing our lips together.

The moment our lips touched, the sparks I always felt when we were together caught alight and roared into a raging inferno. I was lost in the feel of him against me and was quick to move my hands into his hair, pulling him closer. When my urgency registered with him, his lips parted and he released the most erotic moan I had ever heard into my open mouth.

"If couples don't kiss on their honeymoon," I panted as he licked at my lips, "they really need to start."

Edward chuckled low in his throat before kissing me again, his nimble fingers sliding around my back and working on the tie of my bikini top. I pushed against him even as a hint of self-consciousness wriggled its way into the back of my mind.

"Edward," I hissed. "Someone will see."

"No, they won't," he reassured me as his fingers continued to tug at the flimsy strings. "We're facing nothing but open water, Isabella. And I highly doubt anyone will be out on the water this late at night. Relax." He smiled up at me as he removed the top from my body. "Besides, anyone who catches a glimpse of you like this is one lucky son of a bitch. You're the most sensual creature I've ever seen." I smiled at him, feeling my cheeks warm. "See?" he urged, raising an eyebrow as he stroked my flushed skin. "So incredibly sexy."

"Well," I began as my hands drifted under the water to the waistband of his board shorts. "This sexy woman would very much like to make love to her husband."

He grinned, his eyes hooded and sparkling with want. "Whatever my lady wants, she gets."

"Good," I whispered and moved my lips to his ear. "Because I. Want. _You_."

He hissed through his teeth before pulling my head back and kissing me hard.

We were a mess of hands, lips, teeth and tongues as we shed the last of our clothing and I sighed in relief as we finally pressed up against each other, skin to skin. I felt his cock at my thigh below the water and shifted my hips so that we slid against each other. Edward pressed his open mouth against my shoulder and grunted as he reached down and grabbed my ass, pulling me down harder. "Fuck," he growled against my skin.

I pressed my lips together and breathed out heavily through my nose as I reached down and took him in my hand. "I want you," I repeated in a whisper against his ear before guiding him to my entrance and letting him slip inside me. He moaned and began moving in me with slow, deep thrusts so as not to send water splashing onto the balcony.

Our lips met in a kiss so hard I worried fleetingly that my lips may bruise as we pushed and pulled against each other. My nails scratched and clawed at his back and he moved the hand that was beneath the water from my ass to where we were joined, drawing two of his fingers over my clit in quick circles. "Oh god," I whimpered as my head fell back and Edward was quick to move his lips to my breasts, licking and sucking at my nipples. My stomach clenched and my thighs tensed around his as my orgasm began to build. "Don't stop," I gasped, knowing full well that he had no intention of stopping. He knew that too and I felt him smile against my skin before he grazed his teeth gently over my nipple. I cried out at the feeling and moved my hips harder over his, eager for release. This wouldn't last long, but I was too far gone to care.

"I can feel you," Edward breathed against my skin. "You're so close."

"Yes," I gasped, pulling his head up to kiss him again, sliding my tongue into his mouth as our chests pressed tightly together. A thought occurred to me as we kissed and I broke away to whisper against his lips, "I hope the neighbors can't hear."

He let out a short, tight laugh and pressed his hips upward, grinding against me as I began to tremble in his arms. "That's it, Bella. Cum for me," he urged through a deep moan, staring up at me with lust darkened eyes. I was unable to deny him what he wanted and crushed my mouth against his as I let out the first pleasure filled cry of my orgasm.

I whimpered his name over and over as I clenched around him, burying my face in his neck as he twitched and released inside me. His arms tightened around me and he cried out against my shoulder as our hips continued to grind together, slowly bringing each other down from our respective orgasms. Edward let out a long breath and my damp skin broke out in goosebumps at the wisp of cool air.

"I love you," I said softly, leaning back to look into his eyes.

He smiled at me and traced my lips with his fingers, exhaling gently as I kissed the pad of each one. "I love you, too, my Bella," he replied before pulling me close to his body and wrapping his arms around me.

We stayed like that for a long time, just listening to the sounds of the world around us. Eventually we got out of the water and Edward carried me up to the bedroom where we made love again, our cries of pleasure muffled against skin and lips.

"I never want this to end," I said softly as we rested against the sheets, my head on Edward's chest. "I never want this feeling to go away. I want us to have this forever."

"Trust me, cara mia," he replied, kissing the top of my head. "We will."

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><p><strong>You can't say that's not a good way to end your honeymoon ;)<strong>

**I actually did quite a bit of research for this chapter. I looked up the flight routes for Sea World Helicopters and then the flavors for different white wines made here. I'm such a nerd.**

**Next chapter: Hi ho, hi ho, it's back to Forks we go!**

**Get a sneak peek of chapter seven over at the blog on Teaser Tuesday, and don't forget, I'm BlueWinterAngel over on Twitter. I talk about random things and make lame jokes. It's fun.**

**I'd love to hear your thoughts :) **


	7. The World We Live In

**So, we're back in Forks. Have you got your luggage? Is everyone else as excited as I am to see the rest of the Cullens again? I'm not gonna lie, I missed them.**

**Have you seen Breaking Dawn yet? Is it good? I'm waiting a little bit before I go and see it, avoid the crowds, you know?**

**Big hugs and many thanks to my lovely beta and big sister, Liz4, for making my words look pretty, and letting me know when I make Edward too bossy. Come on, Edward, relax dude! Hee! I love you!**

**Now, let's go catch up with the rest of the family :)**

**Disclaimer: It's not mine. Can I at least have my own room in the Cullen house? Pretty please?**

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><p><em><strong>Chapter Seven<br>The World We Live In **_

I stared longingly out the airport windows as we sat in the waiting area of the terminal the following morning. The time we had spent here had flown by and I was a bit sad to be leaving, even though I was very excited to see everyone again.

"You're moping again," Edward observed from where he sat beside me, an understanding smile on his face.

"Sorry," I mumbled and rested my head on his shoulder.

"You're really going to miss this place aren't you?" he asked softly.

I nodded and shifted my gaze back to the large windows, gazing out over the lush green hills and then the mountains further in the distance. "I am, but at least I have lots of things to take back with me."

He laughed and kissed my hair. "That's an understatement. I think you raided every gift shop in the entire airport." I giggled along with him, my mood lifting. "Are you hungry? I can get you something to eat before we board if you'd like."

"No, that's okay," I said, watching as a stewardess turned the microphone on at the ticket gate. "I'm still a bit full from breakfast. I'll get something on the plane if I need to."

_"Flight 6279 to Melbourne is now boarding. All passengers please make your way to the gate for check-in, thank you."_

"That's us," Edward said before taking my hand and rising from his seat. "You ready?"

"Yep," I replied, following him to the line that was slowly forming. The stewardess checked our tickets before handing them back to us and gesturing for us to head out on to the tarmac. It was another warm Queensland day with some thin cloud cover and even a few patches of blue sky. Thankfully it wasn't bright enough for Edward to start sparkling.

Another stewardess checked our tickets as we boarded the plane, directing us to our seats before moving on to the next set of passengers. I scored the window seat this time around and didn't bother to be subtle about my happy dance. Edward merely shook his head and placed our carry on bags under our seats. The bags held books and any other things I might need to occupy myself during our flights plus all the things I had bought in the terminal.

"How come our layover is in Melbourne this time?" I asked as I clicked in the clasp of my seat belt.

"I thought you might like to see another state before we left. You've seen Sydney already and Melbourne was the other choice, so I thought, why not?"

I smiled and leaned over to kiss him. "You're so thoughtful."

"I just wanted you to get the most you possibly could from this trip."

I'll admit that I got a bit sniffly as the plane took off and I was able to look out along the coastline. As promised, I had called in to see Nina before we left the hotel this morning; she had wished us well and hoped we came back to visit sometime soon. If we did, I certainly wouldn't be getting another massage. I doubt it would work very well on someone with marble skin.

Our layover in Melbourne was only for an hour so Edward and I spent most of our time exploring where we were allowed and taking the odd photo before we headed back to board our next flight. This one would take us back to the States and I felt another mixture of sadness and excitement knowing that we would soon be leaving this wonderful country.

"We can always come back," Edward reminded me as our plane rose into the sky.

I sighed and squeezed his hand, looking out the window, determined not to miss a thing.

x-X-x

When we had first arrived in Australia, we had lost a day up in the air, but when we arrived back in Seattle it was still the same day we had left Coolangatta airport. Edward laughed as I examined the date on a nearby screen with a quirked brow and confused eyes. I really hated time zones.

My husband merely shook his head with a smile as I rambled on about how I was convinced we were in some freaky kind of _Twilight Zone/Groundhog Day_ mix and would be forced to live the same day over and over again.

I learned that jet lag made me somewhat loopy.

Carlisle and Esme were waiting for us out in the main terminal and both had amused smiles on their perfect faces. I wondered if they had heard my insane theory. If they had they didn't bring it up, instead greeting us with hugs and kisses and questions about our trip.

"It was incredible," I told Esme as Edward and Carlisle got our suitcases from the conveyer belt. "I can't wait to show you all the photos."

"I can't wait to see them," she replied, hugging me close to her side. "We really missed you around here."

"I missed you guys, too," I told her, wrapping my arms around her torso and squeezing. "Edward has been keeping me updated on the New Hampshire house."

She smiled widely, her golden eyes alight with excitement. "I'm looking forward to your reaction when you see it," she said. "It's been so much fun putting everything together."

"I'm glad. I doubt I could decorate the interior of a house, so I'll just leave that to you guys."

"Don't worry," she laughed. "Alice and I will teach you one day."

"That'll be interesting," Edward said as he and Carlisle joined us again. "I'm sure Alice would have a panic attack if she had to leave everything design related up to Bella."

I glared at him although I was unable to hide my smile.

The drive back to Forks was filled with stories from our honeymoon including a play-by-play from me of our visit with the elephants. Esme 'awwed' when Edward told her that Sabu never left my side. We spoke a little bit more about the move and my change as we entered the outskirts of Forks and I felt a flutter of excitement go off in my stomach at the prospect of seeing my siblings again. I would call Charlie later tonight and then go and see him tomorrow. I also made plans to swing by La Push to spend some time with my friends there before we left in three days.

In all honesty, the fact that I only had three days left to spend with friends and family made me a bit nervous, but I understood. Besides, it wasn't like I was leaving without telling anyone. They all knew that we would be moving to New Hampshire after Edward and I returned from our honeymoon, and thankfully no one really questioned our motives. The Cullens had been living in Forks for almost three years, which I'd been told was quite a stretch when in a small town. People would soon start to notice that none of them were aging. Usually when that happened or when someone became suspicious of them, they packed up and moved on, but in this case they had stayed longer than normal. For me.

On the plus side, because our new house was in such a secluded area and far away from any widely populated towns, we could stay for as long as we liked. Carlisle had told me that they didn't always sell their houses when they moved out of them. Sometimes they kept them in case they wanted to go back in 50 or so years. To my relief, they were going to keep their house in Forks so that we could always come back in a few decades if that was what we wanted to do.

For that, I was very grateful. This little town was my home and I doubted I would ever be able to give it up for good.

"What are you thinking about, sweetheart?" Edward asked, effectively cutting off my train of thought. I looked out the window to see that we were on the curvy stretch of road that served as the Cullens long-ass driveway. I hadn't realized I'd been lost in my own head for so long.

I turned to look at Edward who was smiling pleasantly. "Just the whole vampire relocation thing."

Carlisle spoke up from the front seat. "It can be a bit tedious at times, not having one place to just settle down in."

"But that's our life," Esme added. "We get fidgety, which makes it hard to stay in one place for an extended period of time. Five years is usually the longest we can go before we have to shift somewhere else."

"Just think of it this way," Edward continued. "You get to travel a hell of a lot."

I smiled at the prospect. "I'm really looking forward to the traveling. There are so many places I want to go."

"And you can," he replied. "Time and time again, for the rest of eternity."

A morbid thought wiggled about in my mind and I felt a twinge of sadness and fear in my chest. Charlie and Renee and my friends wouldn't be around for the rest of eternity. Growing old and dying had always been a big fear of mine, so I was relieved to have an outlet, but not everyone could share in this fate. Then again, some might not want to. I had heard that Rosalie hadn't wanted this life to begin with; she had wanted children, wanted to grow old and die the way nature had intended.

Edward noticed the change in my expression and brought my hands to his lips, kissing my knuckles. "I know, Bella. Believe me, I know what you're feeling. I've lived through it, but that's our lot as vampires. You need to learn to take the good with the bad."

I nodded, choking up. I didn't want to cry, but this was a big step in my life. I wanted what it offered me, I just wasn't all that keen on the downsides that came with it.

Carlisle cut the engine and turned around in his seat, reaching out to place a soothing hand on my knee. "Bella, darling, we understand what you're going through. None of us had to deal with these thoughts and feelings before we changed because none of us asked for this. You're the first one in our family to choose this life, which is bound to be hard. But we're all here for you, no matter what. Whether you're a sister, daughter, or a wife, we love you."

Esme brushed the tears from my cheeks before placing her hand on Carlisle's shoulder. "It will be easier once we're out of town and you're not near the people that you grew up with. Trust me."

I nodded, curling into Edward's side. "I think it's the jet lag that's got you all emotional," he soothed, combing his fingers through my hair. "Once we're inside maybe you'd like to have something to eat and get a bit more sleep?"

"Sounds like a plan," I sniffed, burying my face in his chest. I really didn't understand why I was so snot-sobby about this right now. It wasn't like I'd never spoken to my new family about it before; we'd spoken about it many times and I understood well what I was getting myself into. And I wanted it. Oh, how I wanted it. I was just a bit frightened of what would happen a few decades down the line.

In an attempt to lighten my mood, Carlisle reminded me of the Quileute legend that Jake and his friends were always talking about. There was a story that basically said there was a gene that gets passed down from father to son, and in some cases father to daughter, that gives that person the power to transform into a wolf. In doing so, they would not age, would not grow old, would not die. It gave me hope for the fate of my friends in La Push.

After I had calmed down, wiped my eyes, and even started smiling again, Carlisle restarted the car and continued down the road. Edward turned my face up so that he could look at me and I smiled reassuringly, pulling his face down to kiss him. "Sorry about that," I whispered against his lips.

"Don't be sorry, my love. I understand." He stroked his nose along the length of mine before kissing me again.

x-X-x

"I know I've said it a thousand times, but I'm so glad you're back! I was going insane without you!" Alice cried, cuddling me against her side as we relaxed on the couch. Edward had connected the camera to the TV and was flicking through our photo collection so that the rest of our family could see.

"Alice, come on, I was gone for, what, two and a bit weeks? I'm sure you were fine."

Jasper laughed from where he was all stretched out on the love seat. "She was perfectly fine, she just has a flair for the dramatic." I giggled and he winked at me. "We really did miss you though, Bella."

"Told you so," Esme said, grinning.

"I still can't believe you guys got to hang out with the elephants," Emmett grumped, turning one of my plush toys over in his hands. "It looked awesome."

"It _was_ awesome," I agreed. "I wonder how they're doing."

"I still can't believe they named the little one Bimbo," he snickered and I reached out to bump my fist against his.

"Trust me, it was hard not to laugh when they told us," Edward spoke up, flicking to a photo of me with my arm around Sabu's trunk as we walked across the enclosure.

I smiled and leaned further into Alice's side, enjoying some downtime with my family. Everyone had been very gracious and understanding when we had come through the door. They could see the strain on my face and settled for cuddles and a few questions about our flight before they let me be. I had a bite to eat and then Edward took me upstairs to rest. I had been a bit startled at first by just how bare his room was. Apart from the bed, there was hardly anything else in there. All his CDs and books and other little things had all been taken to the new house. I didn't have much time to dwell on it, though, for I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

It was about three in the afternoon when I woke up feeling refreshed and a hell of a lot happier. Edward had been stretched out beside me, his fingers stroking up and down my arm. Not wasting a second, I had pulled his head down and kissed him silly, needing his touch to ground and relax me.

As promised, I called Charlie after I had woken properly, answering his questions and asking what he had been up to while we had been gone. He had spent a lot of his time fishing with Billy and when he wasn't fishing he was working and ordering take out for dinner. Typical Charlie. He asked about the move and if we were all ready to go and I had been very glad to find that I didn't feel sad like I had earlier. I think my talking about it again and shedding a few tears had been quite a cleansing experience. I felt good.

Before I hung up, Charlie had told me that it was probably a wise idea to call my mother, which I did. I ended up being on the phone with her for almost an hour and a half and had to cut our conversation short because my stomach was grumbling to the point of pain. I promised to call again tomorrow before hanging up and slumping in my chair, rubbing at my ear while Jasper laughed at me.

"It looks like you guys had a great time," Rosalie said as our slideshow came to an end.

"We did," I told her with a wide smile. "I'd go back in a heartbeat."

"She's not lying," Edward laughed. "She was very sad to be leaving."

I poked my tongue out at him before voicing my next thought. "Is there anywhere in particular you guys like visiting?"

"I love Paris," Alice sighed with a dreamy look on her face.

"Observe my shock," I deadpanned before cracking a smile and snorting, unable to stay serious for long.

"Italy is fun," Carlisle spoke up. "I actually spent some time there in my early years."

"Ooh, I love Greece," Emmett said suddenly and I looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "What?"

I shrugged. "I wouldn't have guessed that."

"Are you kidding?" he said in mock horror. "I got to ride a donkey, Bella. A _donkey._"

"Ah, now I get it," I laughed. "Anywhere else?"

"England is lovely," Esme said somewhat wistfully. "I can't wait to go again."

"Don't you ever get bored of going to the same countries?" I asked.

"Not at all," Rosalie answered. "I mean, there are only so many places in the world you can go, but the beauty of it is that nothing ever stays the same. Whenever you go back there's always something new to explore. You can never be caught up on what's going on in the world because the world is always changing."

I nodded, letting that idea settle in my mind. It was very intriguing. "I want you guys to take me to your favourite places and teach me everything you know once I'm like you, okay?"

"Of course, Bella," Carlisle said. "We wouldn't have it any other way."

I looked to Edward and saw that he was smiling widely, love, awe, and pride in his eyes. I smiled back at him before looking around at the faces of my family. They were here for me and they loved me, and I truly felt that I was ready to join them in this exciting new world they lived in.

* * *

><p><strong>Aww, Bella. Come here so I can cuddle you.<strong>

**I really felt that she needed to think about the downsides of her becoming a vampire, and get a bit serious. But don't worry, it doesn't get any worse than that. It can't all be sunshine and rainbows, you know. Well, it can, just not right now... be quiet.**

**Next chapter: We're moving to New Hampshire. That's right, it's almost time to say goodbye to Forks. -sniff-**

**You know the drill. Teaser for chapter eight on the blog on Tuesday, and I'm on Twitter. Come say hi.**

**I'd love to hear your thoughts :)**


	8. Home

**Happy Holidays!**

**Sorry for not posting sooner. I got really sick at the start of the month and have only just recovered. Trust me when I say it wasn't fun. Nonetheless, I'm back now and we can pick up where we left off :)**

**I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. Did you get any cool stuff? I sure did.**

**One more thing. With my limited knowledge of American geography, when I chose to have the Cullens move to New Hampshire, I did so without knowing that it was actually on the other side of the country. Oops! I don't really mention the finer details of their road trip, since I haven't seen many (if any) of the landmarks they were sure to pass, so I'll let you fill in the blanks on your own. I'm sure Bella made them pull over every five minutes so that she could take photos, the dork.**

**Many thanks to my beta and big sister, Liz4 for helping me with the New Hampshire stuff and for being so patient and understanding while I was sick, and for surprising me with an Amazon gift card for Christmas. You're the best! I love you!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter Eight<br>Home **_

"I spy with my little eye, something beginning with... T."

"Tree."

"How are you so good at this?"

"Emmett, you've been using tree as your answer for the last ten minutes."

"That's because there's nothing else out here!"

I laughed at my siblings before turning my gaze back out the window, watching as the scenery whipped by. We were half an hour out from New Hampshire, having left the Forks house a few days ago. I sighed quietly, thinking of everyone back in that tiny town and Edward squeezed my hand in response.

My three days in Forks had passed by in the blink of an eye, but every second was spent with those who meant the most to me.

I had spent my first day with Charlie, leaving him with a cookbook in the hopes that he would one day try his hand at making his own meals. He had merely laughed and said that there was nothing wrong with wishful thinking. I'd spent the second day in Port Angeles with my friends from school and the final day down at La Push with everyone, including Charlie.

The third day was my favourite. It was pouring rain for the majority of the day so we spent our time bundled up at Billy's place. This was no small feat either. Because there were so many of us, we ended up just sitting out on the porch with mugs of hot chocolate and blankets wrapped around our shoulders as we told stories and just enjoyed ourselves.

During those three days I was constantly taking pictures so that I would always be able to look back on my time in Forks. I got Edward to take me to our meadow and those two trees I had come to love so that I could take photos of them, too. I shot the sunset over the hills, the water as it trickled down from the leaves, and the lush forest beneath our feet. I wanted to remember it all.

I knew that once I was a vampire I would be incapable of shedding tears so I made damn sure I cried my eyes out that night as I said my goodbyes to everyone and then again when we called past Charlie's place to say goodbye one last time before we set off. I had gone through my things at his place and packed away anything I wanted to take with me before taking photo after photo of the house I grew up in. Like I said, I wanted to remember it all.

Edward and I rode with Carlisle and Esme for the first half of the trip so that I could cry when I needed to without upsetting my siblings. Edward and Esme took turns holding me in the backseat, stroking my hair as I napped on and off. We swapped into Emmett's gargantuan Jeep after making a pit stop so that I could use the bathroom and get something to eat. It was just the pick-me-up I needed after such an emotional few days.

A pair of cool lips pressed against my temple and I smiled as I looked up at my husband. "What was that for?" I asked, reaching up to trace his lips.

"For being so wonderful," he murmured against the pads of my fingers. I stretched up to kiss him before leaning into his side. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better," I replied, catching Emmett's eye in the rear view mirror. He winked at me and I giggled. "Are we there yet, though? My butt is numb."

"Almost," he said just as Emmett turned onto a long stretch of road that ascended up a beautiful hillside.

"What is this place?" I asked, looking out the side window. It occurred me that we hadn't seen any other cars for at least 45 minutes.

"This is home, Bella," Alice said from where she sat on the extra back seats with Jasper. All the other cars had been brought up here while we were gone.

"Seriously?" I gasped, looking out over the hillside. "But where's the house?"

"A bit further up the hill," Edward answered. "This is the front yard, so to speak."

I let out a shocked laugh. "Do we own the entire hill?" I asked, preparing to not be shocked when they said we did.

"Almost," Jasper said. "There are a few hundred acres of forest that we own as well. Kind of our own private hunting ground."

"A few _hundred _acres?" I sputtered, unable to comprehend the amount of land we owned here. "You guys are unreal."

"Hey," Emmett interrupted in a stern, playful voice. "You're a Cullen now, too. That means you're just as unreal as we are." He paused before grinning, catching the pun in his words. "Get it? Unreal? Because we're vampires?"

I rolled my eyes. "I got it a while ago, Em."

Rosalie snickered from the front seat. "I got it last night."

"Slut," Alice sang and I burst out laughing as Rosalie reached back to high five her.

x-X-x

The house was absolutely breathtaking: three stories tall and built with smooth, stained wood interwoven with metal and marble. The ceilings were high with wooden panels crossing the width of the room a bit further down. The casual mix of rustic and sharper, more elegant furniture was perfectly balanced and I couldn't help but wonder if the flat screen TV in almost every room was Emmett's doing. The long eight seater dining table was littered with glittering tea light candles and a fire roared enticingly in the modern looking fireplace in the next room over. Each bedroom as well as a few of the main rooms had sliding glass doors that led out onto private balconies that overlooked the surrounding hills and gorgeous forests.

"I'll be spending a lot of my time out here," I said as Edward and I leaned against the railing of the balcony connected to our room. A large bed with soft white sheets sat against a feature wall with a dark brown bedside table on each side. Edward's otherworldly book and music collection stood on the other side of the room in tall, stained wood shelves. Apparently, Esme and Alice had kept it simple so that we could add any other things we wanted to as time passed.

"I'm glad you like it," Edward replied, reaching out to take my hand.

"Like it?" I asked in surprise and turned to look at him. "Are you kidding me? I love it!"

He smiled and folded me into his arms, noticing the goose bumps that had risen on my skin due to the chilly breeze. "Let's get you inside, shall we?" I nodded and followed him back through the doors and down the stairs to the lounge room where everyone was, well... lounging.

"So, the new house gets the Bella Cullen seal of approval?" Carlisle asked as I sat beside him on a very comfortable couch.

"It certainly does," I replied.

"Good." He smiled and kissed my forehead. "We were just talking about your change before you joined us."

"Oh?" I asked, intrigued. Now that we were in our new home I could be changed whenever.

"We were wondering if you'd like a day or two to wind down and settle in. It's been quite a busy week," he explained, playing his part of the concerned father.

"Actually, that would be really nice," I sighed and leaned against Edward's chest. He wrapped his arms around me. "You don't mind?"

"Of course not," Esme spoke up from across the room. "We would never rush you into this, Bella. Take all the time you need."

I pursed my lips in thought. "I think maybe two days?" I wanted to make the most of my last 48 hours as a human.

"That sounds perfect," Edward purred from behind me, nuzzling his nose into my hair.

"Well, since we're still on the topic of your becoming like us, I think now would be a good time for us to give you your gift," Alice said, rising from her seat and handing me a small velvet box.

I raised an eyebrow at her. "What gift?"

"The one in your hands, moron," Emmett teased.

I gave him the finger in a very ladylike fashion before speaking again. "You know what I mean. I didn't know I would be receiving a gift today."

"It's more of a 'welcome to the family' thing," Carlisle explained. "Open it."

I took a deep breath and looked down at the box in my hands before popping it open. "Oh my god," I gasped as I saw what was nestled inside. A ring bearing the Cullen crest sat on a soft bed of cotton. "You... I can't even... this is..." I swallowed heavily, overcome with a sudden wave of emotion.

Carlisle chuckled warmly as he plucked the ring from the box and took my right hand. "Bella, you changed our lives the moment you stepped through our front door in Forks almost three years ago. You showed the world that we were yours when you took our name, and now we would like to show the world that you are ours." His eyes softened when he noticed the tears that were now rolling down my cheeks. "Will you wear it?" he asked, brushing my tears away with his thumb.

I nodded at him, smiling through my tears. "Absolutely," I said through a strange sound that was a mixture of a sob and a laugh. He slid the ring onto my ring finger and I leaned forward, throwing my arms around him. "Thank you," I whispered into his shirt.

"No, thank _you_, Bella, for lighting up our world."

"Crybaby," Emmett trilled in a sing-song voice and Rosalie whacked him over the head with a pillow. "All joking aside, we really do love you, little one."

"And just for the record," Rosalie added, "you're going to make one kick-ass vampire."

I removed myself from the comfortable embrace of my father-in-law to grin at them with watery eyes. "I know."

It was almost midnight before Edward and I retired to the bedroom after a few long hours of joking around with our family and me getting my ass kicked playing Jasper in Tekken. I made him promise me a rematch after my change when my reflexes would be faster. I'd beat him at it one day.

"I still can't believe you guys made this for me," I whispered, examining my ring in the moonlight as we lay tangled together under the soft sheets.

"Why wouldn't we?" Edward chuckled softly, kissing his way up and down my neck. "They had it made while we were on our honeymoon."

"It's beautiful." I took one more long look at my ring before moving my hand into Edward's hair. "This is nice, just being able to relax."

"Mmm," he murmured against my skin before kissing my lips. "You must be tired."

"I am a bit," I replied, feeling the heaviness in my eyelids.

"Perhaps it's time to get some sleep," he whispered, pulling me tight to his chest.

I threw an arm over his torso and rested my head on the skin over his heart. "Sing to me?" I asked wearily.

He squeezed me softly and began to hum a mindless tune. Sleep took me quickly.

x-X-x

"How in the hell can you see where you're going?" I asked as Edward trudged through the forest with me on his back. I had mentioned in passing the night before that I couldn't wait to see the sunrise over the hills, so imagine my surprise when Edward woke me up at 3:00 am so that I could do just that. We were currently stuck in a sea of early morning fog which kept me from seeing a damn thing. Thankfully, Edward seemed to know where we were. "I don't see why we couldn't have watched it from the balcony."

"Trust me, Bella, you don't want to miss this view." There was a clearing further up the hill that apparently gave you a view of the forest for miles in all directions. I exhaled sharply and watched as my breath fogged in front of my face. Edward caught sight of it and laughed. "Having fun up there?"

"Very much so," I giggled and pressed my cheek against his. The trees began to thin and I kicked my legs excitedly. "We're here?" I asked, all kinds of giddy.

"We're here," he confirmed and crouched down so that I could slide off his back. He took my hand and led me out into the clearing.

He wasn't kidding when he said I didn't want to miss the view. It was absolutely spectacular. The sun had yet to break over the horizon so it was still a bit dark out, the sky a lovely shade of lavender. The fog we had been moving through extended further than I thought, covering the trees at least three miles out like a soft white blanket. I let out a quiet sigh and sat down on the cool, dewy grass.

"Your butt is going to get wet," Edward said quietly as he sat down behind me so that I could lean back against him.

"I could care less right now," I whispered, my gaze fixated on the horizon, waiting for the moment when the sun would rise to greet the world.

And my God, what a moment it was. The sky turned bright gold and the hills came alive with colour. The warmth of the sun stretched out across the land like a river's current, curling through the deepest parts of the forest and awakening the slumbering entities within. I closed my eyes and relished in the warm glow as it hit my skin, warming me from the inside out.

"Edward?"

"Yes?" he replied softly, as if speaking too loudly would shatter the still perfection of this glorious morning.

"Do you think I'll be good at this? At being a vampire?" I asked, watching as the sun continued to emerge from behind the surrounding hills.

He was silent for a moment, lost in his own thoughts. "Personally, I think you were made for this life." I looked up at him and he smiled. "I'm serious. You're going to be brilliant, Isabella." He dipped his head down, brushing his lips softly over mine. "Trust me."

x-X-x

My second to last day as human Bella was crammed full of all the things I loved to do. I spent hours in the games room with my siblings, trying to keep track of the boys' air hockey games - Carlisle even came in for a round - and then playing the winner, making Alice play Dance Dance Revolution with me, and trying once more to beat Jasper at Tekken.

I failed. Again.

Damn it.

I also spent some one on one time with Esme, having been unable to find a spare hour or so before the move to relax with my mother-in-law. We sat out on the main balcony, me sipping on a hot chocolate with marshmallows, talking and laughing and just enjoying each other's company. She made me a mean chicken parmigiarna that night, too.

"Good?" Jasper asked, watching as I cut another piece of chicken before popping it into my mouth.

I nodded. "My compliments to the chef," I said, smiling widely at Esme who was in the middle of cleaning up the kitchen. She winked at me. I was making sure that I ate all of my favourite foods before my change.

My stomach clenched in nervous excitement.

Edward sniffed the air before pursing his lips and nodding slowly. "In all honesty, it doesn't smell that bad. Kind of nice."

Emmett snickered. "You wouldn't want to eat it, though."

"God, no." Edward scrunched his nose in disgust.

"Human food really tastes that gross?" I asked after swallowing my mouthful. We had talked about this a few times but I just couldn't comprehend food like this tasting bad.

"Oh yeah," Rosalie said, grimacing. "It tastes different depending on what you eat, but it's all just varying levels of fucking disgusting."

"Language," Esme scolded.

"Why would you eat it then?"

"It sometimes serves as punishment when someone loses a bet," Alice explained. "But we try not to do it too much. It sucks having to yak it back up."

"You kids have it easy," Carlisle spoke up from where he sat on the kitchen bench, turning an apple in his hands. "Back in the day, I used to have to attend functions for work where they served multiple courses. There's only so much food you can hide in your napkin before people get suspicious."

I couldn't help but laugh at the idea of Carlisle sitting at a table back in the 1900s looking desperately for somewhere to stash his food. Poor thing.

The moment my plate was empty Edward rose from the couch and pulled me to my feet. We had agreed to spend my last day as a human together, just the two of us. It looked like we were starting early.

Our family was very gracious about it, probably having been informed by Alice that this would be happening. I kissed them all goodnight before going to brush my teeth while Edward headed to our bedroom. The overhead light was off when I joined him, the room now lit by dozens of tea light candles and the glow of the moon. Edward was under the sheets and my fingers twitched at the sight of his bare chest. It had been a few days since we'd been together like this and I missed him desperately.

His eyes never left mine as I crossed the room to the bed, shedding my clothes as I went. The moment I slid under the covers, he pulled me to him and I gasped as our bare skin touched, fitting together with a rush of sensation.

"I've missed you," Edward whispered in my ear as he rolled me onto my back, settling himself between my legs.

"I know," I said in a weak voice, my head pressing back into the pillows as he slid his cock gently back and forth against my warm, slick skin. "Touch me, please," I begged, crying out into his mouth as he kissed me deeply, cupping my breast in his hand.

Our kiss was soft, but deep and urgent as we slid against each other, enjoying the sensations our bodies created. I was completely swept up in him, the coldness of his skin and the onyx of his lust darkened eyes. "I want you," he panted into my mouth, his cock making another pass between my legs. "I need you, Bella, please."

"Yes," I moaned, taking him in my hand and guiding him inside me, my whimper muffled against the skin of his shoulder.

We made love slowly that night, our hands roaming, our lips and tongues tasting and our hips grinding harder and then slower, in search of release. And when we found it, there was not an inch of space between us.

* * *

><p><strong>It's good to be back :)<strong>

**I had so much fun picking out their new house. Photos are in the Cara Mia album.**

**Next chapter: Bella's change. It's the first change I've written, so I'm a bit nervous. -bites nails-**

**You know the drill. Teaser on Tuesday and I'm over on Twitter if you want to come and hang out.**

**I'd love to hear your thoughts :) And if I don't update beforehand, I hope you all have a happy and safe New Year, and I wish you all the best for 2012!**


	9. Finally

**Hey there! It's been a little while. How was your New Years? Fun?**

**Mine was good. I went swimming :)**

**And I just realized, this is my first update for the new year. -throws confetti- Let's hope it's the first of many.**

**My lovely beta, Liz, has been otherwise occupied with personal stuff so this chapter is unedited. Any mistakes you find are my fault and I apologize in advance ;)**

**Disclaimer: It's a new year and Twilight still isn't mine. Siiiigh.**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter Nine<br>Finally **_

I had always planned to be changed at sunset. In my mind, my human life would end with the setting of the sun and my life as a vampire would begin with the rising of it three days later. It just felt like the right thing to do.

And now, as I watched the sun slip behind the hills, my body slow and lethargic thanks to the morphine that swam through my veins, I knew I had made the right call.

Edward sat behind me, his arms tight around my torso as he attempted to encase all of me in his powerful grip. He was nervous. We both were. But it was a good nervous, an excited nervous. We would get through this.

"You're positive this is what you want?" he whispered in my ear, his voice low and steady. He had long since embraced the idea of my change and I knew he was only asking for my benefit.

"You know I want nothing more than eternity with you," I replied sleepily. "Quit worrying, you big girl."

He chuckled and I felt his body relax. You'd think we'd be freaking out right now, but we knew this was simply the last step to forever. Besides, it was only three days.

_Let's see what you have to say in an hour, _that annoying little voice in my head snickered.

I frowned. I knew it would hurt and I prayed that I'd be strong enough to endure it. Carlisle had advised me to keep my mind on the end result and just try to relax. But even he knew I'd struggle.

Alice, who had been standing by the door for the last few minutes - the only other family member in the room besides Carlisle - looked up and smiled. "It's time," she whispered, nodding to the orange and lavender sky. The sun had set.

My heart raced.

"Relax, cara mia," Edward soothed, rubbing my skin with his gentle fingers as he laid me back onto the mattress. "It'll be okay."

"I know," I whispered and smiled up at him. "I trust you."

Carlisle and Alice left the room with reassuring words and loving smiles. My chest suddenly felt too small for everything I was feeling. I loved my family so much.

"You're ready?" he asked again, and I knew it was for the last time.

I inhaled deeply and took his face in my hands. "I'm ready."

He smiled softly and leaned down to kiss me, his lips sliding over mine slowly, purposefully. This kiss would keep us going for the next three days, so it had to be a good one.

His lips trailed across my cheek and down my throat to where my pulse throbbed against my skin. Edward inhaled deeply and slid his lips back and forth over my flesh. "I love you," he murmured.

My eyes closed and I held him to me. "I love you. So much." His lips pulled back over his teeth and he pressed the sharp edges to my neck. "Make me yours."

I felt his teeth pierce my skin and heard the low moan he gave before a sliver of ice wriggled down through my body and the pain began.

x-X-x

I screamed. Oh god, did I scream.

Actually, I probably cursed more than I screamed.

The pain was unbearable. It seared my skin so badly I was convinced it had been reduced to ash. It grinded my bones down to nothing and robbed my body of tears long before I was ready to lose them.

Edward remained by my side through it all. He held my limbs down when they began to thrash, sang to me when my screams tore at my throat and soothed me when I sobbed his name.

"I know it hurts, Bella, _I know._" His voice was strained. "But you can do this. I know you can. I'm right here, we all are. I love you, Bella. I love you so much."

And that was enough to get me through.

x-X-x

It could have been a day, it could have been an hour or even only a minute, but eventually I fell silent. Screaming only helped for so long.

The effort it took to lay still was monumental, but I managed it. I could feel my muscles strengthening; feel the durability that seeped into my body. It was slow and I couldn't focus on it well due to the inferno that continued to lick at my skin, but it was there.

x-X-x

After a while, Edward began to speak.

He spoke without aim, without reason, merely voicing his thoughts to the four walls that surrounded us. I struggled to focus on him. He seemed to realize this and leaned his head down so that his lips were pressed to my ear. I wanted to cry out at the touch of his flesh. I hadn't opened my eyes since he bit me, hadn't spoken in what felt like years. It hurt too much to try. I didn't know where my limbs were.

I whimpered, my lips pressed tight, and zeroed in on the sound of his voice.

"... I was thinking Venice. Oh, you'll love the gondolas, Bella. It's so quaint and the water is as still as anything late at night. You feel like you're the only person in the world..."

Oh god. He was talking about our future.

He spoke for hours about the places we'd visit and the things we would do. He spoke of where we would live and where he would make love to me. I clung to every word, reveling in the sound of his voice.

x-X-x

Carlisle joined us when the burn intensified.

"It won't be long now," he said over my static breathing. "She's in the thick of it."

Edward's voice was rough in my ear. "I'm here, Bella, I'm here." His arms were tight around me. "It will all be over soon, I promise."

My heart raced in blind fear, pulling my torso up off the mattress and into Edward's body. The beats quickened to one long note.

"Almost there," he encouraged. "You're doing so well."

I let out a small whimper and squeezed my eyes shut tighter against the pain in my heart. _Thanks for keeping me going all these years, _I thought to the battling organ. _You've done a great job. I can carry it from here._

In response, my heart sounded three more frantic beats and gave out.

Silence.

x-X-x

It didn't take Edward long to grow impatient.

"When will she wake?"

I heard Carlisle chuckle and allowed my lips to twitch in amusement. "When she wants to. She's coherent and very much aware. I imagine she's enjoying the lack of pain."

He was right. I had all but forgotten what it felt like to just relax without the presence of pain.

Edward's lips pressed against my shoulder and I startled at the softness of his skin, the warmth of his mouth. How different this was...

"Again," I said and he stilled beside me.

"Bella?"

"Again," I insisted and he quickly bent down and kissed my shoulder once more. I smiled and let my eyelids lift. "That's going to take some getting used to. Among other things." I felt my brows furrow at the sound of my own voice. It was light, melodic. I hadn't expected that to change.

Edward moved and then his face was above mine, his eyes golden with a hint of black around the edges. He would need to hunt soon.

But oh, how could one person be so beautiful?

My human eyesight had done little to capture the true perfection of his face. Even now I could barely comprehend it. Dazzled, I raised a hand to his face and pressed it to his cheek, my thumb rubbing over his skin. "Hi," I whispered.

His smile lit up the room. "Hi," he replied. "Your eyes are red."

I grimaced. "A bad red?"

He chuckled and I wanted to squeal at the sound. "No. A beautiful red."

Carlisle appeared at the foot of the bed and I blinked in astonishment. Had he always been this gorgeous? I mean, I knew he was good looking beforehand but... wow.

He noticed the expression on my face and smiled somewhat shyly. "It's good to see you awake," he said and reached out to pat my foot. "I'll give you two a moment alone. Try to make the most of it; I'm sure the others are itching to see you again." He dipped his head and disappeared from the room.

I stared at the door for a moment before looking back at Edward. My head turned too fast and the world spun.

"Whoa," I gasped, surprised when the dizziness didn't come.

Edward smiled, his eyes bright as he watched me discover my new body. "You'll get used to the speed in a minute. It's a little disorienting at first."

I let out a quiet breath and moved to sit up. Edward laughed again when I stared at him with wide eyes, having shot upright the moment I considered doing so. My fascination with the speed I now moved at was short lived as I took in his face again. He saw the focus in my eyes and leaned his forehead against mine. "I missed you," he whispered and I trembled as his arms - now warm - wrapped around me.

My voice was unsteady as I crawled into his lap. "Those were the longest three days of my life," I breathed against his cheek, ghosting my lips over his smooth skin. The mood in the room had changed so fast. I wasn't sure if it was vampire instinct or not, but I needed to be close to him. "Kiss me," I pleaded, feeling short of the breath that was no longer needed.

Edward purred as we nuzzled like cubs, moving slowly to savor the feeling of our skin brushing together. He took my face in his hands when I began to whimper in impatience, looking into my ruby eyes before he leaned in and pressed his lips to mine.

It was instant sensory overload.

What started out as a soft kiss quickly turned frantic and we grasped at each other blindly as we kissed and licked, touched and tasted. Edward moaned low as I slid my tongue into his mouth, feeling the sharpness of his teeth for the first time. I could taste the sweetness of his venom and realized I now possessed the same deadly fluid. There was so much to discover, so much to learn.

Edward held me, but not as tightly as I wanted. It struck me that he was still being cautious and gentle with me, still moving as though I were human. "Edward," I said against his lips. "Hold me tighter. I won't break."

He shuddered and squeezed his arms tighter around me, groaning desperately into my mouth when he realized my bones weren't giving way before he crushed me against his chest. "Oh god," he gasped. "I can _hold _you. _Finally._"

I smiled and kissed him again. Finally I was strong, finally we had eternity.

We kissed for what felt like hours and when a fist rapped on the door of our room I whined in annoyance. I wasn't done tasting his lips, damn it.

Edward chuckled as I hissed towards the door. "They've been very patient, sweetheart."

"I know," I mumbled and buried my face in his shirt, inhaling his scent and committing it to memory. "I just..." I trailed off, grumbling incoherently.

"I understand," he soothed. "We have all the time in the world to learn each other again, but they would very much like to see you."

My slight annoyance melted away and was quickly replaced with anticipation. I wanted to see them, too.

"That's cheating, Jasper," Edward scolded, laughing under his breath.

The door opened and Jasper poked his head in. "My intentions were good," he argued before looking to me and smiling widely. "Hey there, little one. Don't you look stunning?"

I smiled sheepishly and knew that if I were still human, I'd be blushing. "Hey, Jasper," I replied quietly.

Alice's voice sounded from behind him. "Hurry up, Jazz," she whined. "I want to see her!"

He rolled his eyes before opening the door wider and stepping away. Alice was through in an instant, stealing me from Edward's arms and into hers.

"You look beautiful!" she squealed into my hair, hugging me tight.

"Thanks," I wheezed. Who knew she was so strong? "It's good to see you too," I said, patting her back.

Emmett leaned against the doorframe with his usual smile in place. "Hey, little sister," he said with a quick upward jerk of his head. "Looking good."

I grinned. "Looking buff."

He winked.

Rosalie embraced me when I rose from the bed, her arms gentle around me. Why couldn't Alice hug like this? "Welcome back, sister."

"Thanks, Rose," I whispered into her hair and held her tight. She coughed when I squeezed a little _too _tight. Oh right, I was stronger than them.

"You'll get used to it," Esme soothed as she walked into the room with Carlisle at her heels. She embraced me as well. "My daughter," she whispered. "It's so good to see you again."

"How are you feeling?" Carlisle asked as I wrapped my arms around him. His embrace was strong and steady.

I pursed my lips as I stepped back into Edward. "Good. My throat is a little itchy, though."

He nodded. "That's normal. You'll need to hunt soon."

"Today?" I asked, looking out over the balcony to the forest. I couldn't wait to run.

"It would be best if you hunted today, yes."

"We'll leave in a minute," Edward said before looking over to Alice who was bouncing around on the balls of her feet with her hands tucked under her chin. "Can't it wait, Alice?" he asked. "She needs to hunt."

"I know," she trilled, still bouncing. Jasper put a steady hand on her shoulder to keep her on the ground. "I'm sure she can wait, but I can't!"

"What am I waiting for?" I asked, looking back and forth between Edward and Alice.

Edward looked down at me with laughter in his eyes. "Your sister would like for you to see what you look like before we leave."

"Oh." I blinked in surprise and straightened my posture. I could understand that. I doubt I'd look very appealing caked in blood. Best to do it before I got all messy. "That's fine. In all honesty I'm quite curious myself."

"Yes!" Alice said under her breath, disappearing from the room and returning with a large mirror mere seconds later. I smiled, realizing that I had seen every movement she'd made. Vampire eyesight kicked ass. "Okay, come stand over here, Bella," she instructed, pulling me over by the hand. "Take a deep breath and look whenever you're ready."

I kept my eyes on her face as my stomach twisted in excitement and near overwhelming nerves. I wanted to see what I looked like, I really did. I was just a bit worried that I wouldn't look like _me_. How much had changed over the last three days?

Edward, sensing my anxiety, stepped up behind me and placed his hands on my hips. "It's okay, Bella," he soothed. "Look at us."

I did as he instructed and raised my eyes to the mirror. I gasped at the woman who stared back at me.

"Is that me?" I whispered, raising a hand to touch my cheek and watching as the woman in the glass did the same.

"Yes, sweetheart. That's you," he said, meeting my gaze in the mirror.

I stared for a moment longer and then, still a little skeptical, began pulling however many ridiculous faces I could think of. Emmett chortled away, watching as I pursed my lips and raised my eyebrows before squishing my cheeks in and scrunching up my nose. It took a little while, but I eventually came to the conclusion that this really _was _me. I couldn't believe how... perfect I looked. Flawless skin, shiny hair, strong muscles and full lips. Not to mention my ruby red eyes. I had thought I would have been a little disturbed by my eyes, but in all honesty, the glowing red depths were quite beautiful.

"Wow," I sighed, raising a hand to wave at my reflection. "Hi, me."

Rosalie rolled her eyes with a soft shake of her head. "You may be a vampire, Bella, but you're still a dork."

I smiled proudly at my sister before scratching at my throat. It was no use. The itch was on the inside. "Well, this dork is hungry." I looked over my shoulder at Edward who was smiling down at me with a mixture of pride and excitement in his eyes. "Let's go."

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><p><strong>It's been two years in the making, but finally, Bella is a vampire! <strong>

**An adorable one at that :P**

**And not that it's of any importance, but this was the first transformation I've ever written. I hope it was good. **

**Next chapter: Bella goes hunting.**

**And believe it or not, the next chapter is the last one before the epilogue! Where did the time go? -wails-**

**...**

**Ahem.**

**Don't forget to swing by the blog for a teaser and come play on Twitter if you're bored. I promise I'm fun.**

**I'd love to hear your thoughts :)**


	10. Where We Belong

**Hey lovelies!**

**Well, the last time we saw our favourite vampires, Bella was about to go on her very first hunt.**

**Let's see how she's doing, shall we?**

**The beta is having some computer troubles (been there, done that. Many times) so this chapter is also unedited. Apologies in advance for any mistakes you might find.**

**Just a warning - there's a lemon towards the end of the chapter ;)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own it. I just spend a lot of time writing about it.**

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><p><em><strong>Chapter Ten<br>Where We Belong **_

"So, what is there to hunt out here?" I asked as Edward and I wandered through the forest, hands clasped and swinging between us.

Edward pursed his lips in thought. "I haven't had the chance to hunt here yet, but from what I recall the basics are black bear, moose, mountain lion and deer. I'm sure we'll encounter other animals from time to time."

I nodded, storing the information away inside my head. "What will I hunt today?"

"Maybe deer? It depends on what you're hungry for," he explained, raising our hands to his lips to kiss my knuckles. "Since it's your first hunt you'll need to feed quite a bit. Perhaps we should find something large that will satisfy you more."

Unable to help myself, I raised an eyebrow and looked at his crotch. He noticed and started laughing. "Later, my little vixen."

I grinned at him before looking around. "It really is beautiful out here."

"It is," he agreed.

We walked for a while longer before the slow speed with which we travelled began to drive me insane. "Edward?" It was impossible to miss the impatience in my voice.

"Yes?" He glanced at me fleetingly, smirking. He knew what I was going to ask. He was probably doing this on purpose.

"Can I run?"

We slowed - if that was possible - to a stop and he let go of my hand. "I don't know. Can you?" I saw the challenge in his eyes and took it.

I looked to the trees before us, determining the path that would grant me the least obstacles and the more chance of a clear sprint. And then I was off.

I had always known vampires were fast runners, but holy shit, this was insane! The forest flew past me in startling clarity, every leaf on every tree perfectly visible thanks to the sharp focus of my eyes. The wind that the speed of my motion created whipped my hair out behind me and I couldn't help but laugh in exhilaration. Running was fantastic.

Suddenly, the sound of pursuit reached my ears and I turned my head to catch it better. The footsteps were light and there was no hint of exertion. I heard a low chuckle and grinned. I knew that voice.

Edward was chasing me.

Determined not to let him catch me easily, I pushed myself forward, lengthening my stride to cover more ground. I had been told that Edward was the fastest runner in the family, but I was a newborn and could play the strength that came with it to my advantage. Nonetheless, he was still gaining on me.

Glancing up, I pushed off the ground and grabbed onto a low hanging tree branch, using the momentum of my leap to swing myself up onto a higher branch. I leaped from tree to tree like a monkey, grabbing branches where I could and using them to throw myself forward. Some cracked under my grip and I made a mental note to work on not breaking things.

"Run, run, run, as fast as you can! You can't catch me, I'm the vampire girl... man!" Yeah, that didn't work out as well as I'd hoped.

Convinced I had outrun him, I dropped down from the tree I was in and looked around. No sign of him. Elated with my victory, I proceeded to dance around in the middle of the forest, shaking my butt and swinging my arms above my head.

My victory was short lived.

In the middle of my happy dance, Edward sprang from the treetops and tackled me to the ground, the sound of our bodies slamming into the forest floor muted by our laughter. He pinned my arms above my head and growled playfully down at me. "I win," he said.

I narrowed my eyes and pouted. "Way to get my hopes up, you big bully."

He grinned. "I had to let you have your fun. You're very fast."

"But not as fast as you."

"No one is as fast as me," he told me, and the seriousness of his expression made me laugh again.

When I settled down I noticed him watching me strangely. "What?"

"Nothing," he said. "It's just, I had been hoping that once you changed, I might be able to hear your thoughts."

Huh. I hadn't considered that to be a possibility.

Curious, I asked him, "Try again?"

Smiling, he looked straight into my eyes, sucking slightly on his bottom lip as he focused on my thoughts.

Eager to help him out, I took a deep breath and shouted at the top of my mental lungs in one of those deep, dramatic, slow motion movie voices:

_BANANAAA!_

"Anything?" I asked after a few short seconds. Was it vampire nature to get impatient so easily?

He shook his head, rising up onto his knees and pulling me with him. "No, but that's okay."

I smiled and took his face in my hands, careful to be gentle and not use too much pressure. I didn't want to hurt him. "It doesn't really matter," I told him. "I have no filter."

"Oh, I know," he teased, laughing at the scowl on my face as he leaned in to kiss me. I melted into him, wrapping my arms around his neck and shifting into his lap in an attempt to get as close as possible. He felt far too good against me.

All thoughts of hunting drifted from my mind as we sat there on the forest floor, wrapped up in each other. But once I caught an unfamiliar scent on the breeze, those thoughts came flooding back in.

Reluctantly I pulled away from Edward's lips and turned my nose into the wind, inhaling deeply. "What is that?" I asked, feeling the itch in my throat become a persistent burn. Ouch.

"That," he began as we rose to our feet, "is breakfast."

I turned to look at him, my stomach clenching in a sudden bout of nerves. "What do I do?"

He brushed the backs of his fingers down my cheek, exhaling softly as I leaned into his touch. "Relax. It will come to you, it's in our nature after all. Come on." I took his offered hand and we moved through the forest at a steady run.

Much better than walking.

It didn't take us long to reach the grazing animals. Two deer, a male and a female by the looks of it.

Edward watched as I breathed in, analyzing the scent. Grass, dirt and something warm, something that I knew would ease the burn. It wasn't particularly sweet smelling, but it was enticing all the same. "What's the verdict?" he asked, watching as I raised a hand to my throat. I could feel something clawing at my stomach, the desire to pounce and drink from these small animals. My body knew that this was what I needed, but my mind was holding me back.

I peeked at the animals again and felt my silent heart clench.

Oh God, it's like Bambi.

"I don't..." I trailed off, forcing myself to look away. "Do I have to?" I asked, pointing to the deer that were, in all honesty, really freaking cute.

Edward chuckled and wrapped his arms around me. "Ah, I see," he murmured, so as not to startle said cute animals. "You're like Alice. She has a hard time with the smaller animals because they're all apparently too cute to eat." I couldn't help but giggle. That sounded like Alice. "You'll get used to it soon, cara mia. But I understand. I doubt this would be very satisfying anyway, we need to find you something bigger."

"Does animal blood taste better than it smells?" I asked as we ran in the other direction, towards the valley between the hills.

"Yes," he assured me. "But once you have that first mouthful, you don't really notice the taste, you just want to soothe the burn."

"Yeah," I grumbled, swallowing heavily in an attempt to alleviate the burn. It didn't help. "That'd be great."

When we reached the valley I caught a new scent and stopped to investigate. This smelled better, much better.

"Edward?" I called, watching as he inhaled and walked back to me.

He nodded, satisfied. "I think we've found your prey."

"What is it?"

He sniffed the air again and looked towards the trees. "Bear."

I blinked in surprise. "Bear?"

"Bear," he confirmed before glancing down at me. "Think you can carry it from here?"

"I think so," I murmured, my body leaning towards the scent as my throat continued to burn. I couldn't take much more of this.

Edward noticed and stepped away. "You'll be fine. Just do what feels right. I'll be here if you need me."

I smiled gratefully before I turned and jogged further into the forest, tracking the scent. I couldn't quite describe it for I wasn't close enough to really take it in; I had to find the bear before I could eat it. Inhaling again, I caught the bear's trail and broke into a sprint, following the scent around the curve of a hill to a small clearing. Hiding behind a tree, I peeked into the sunlit oval and smiled, spotting a large black bear in the middle. It was still cute, but it was sturdy and I knew full well from watching the Discovery Channel that they could get rough. These animals weren't as defenseless as deer.

The bear carried the scent of grass and dirt, much like the deer but it also smelled rich, sweet and very enticing. It struck me that a bear probably smelled better because it was a carnivore. I smiled to myself. That was clever.

Stepping out from behind my tree, I crept silently into the clearing, noting absentmindedly that my skin had begun to shimmer and sparkle in the sunlight. I would geek out about that later; right now I was hungry. As I moved closer venom began to drip from my teeth and my eyes widened in surprise as I swallowed it down. It had a faint metallic taste to it but it wasn't altogether unpleasant. I groaned in discomfort as the burn grew hotter before realizing my mistake. The bear, who had heard me, lifted its large head before it jumped to its feet in surprise, shifting anxiously as it took me in. Pale, sparkly and red-eyed. And hungry, very hungry.

In short, he was screwed.

Realizing this, the bear roared in defiance, rearing up onto its hind legs. If I had been human, I probably would have peed myself in fright, but vampire me roared right back and pounced. It seemed I had underestimated my strength for I easily tipped the bear off its feet and onto the grass, pinning its head to the ground and searching for the best place to drink from. "Edward?" I called in a soft voice, knowing he could hear me.

"The jugular," he replied, sounding urgent. He knew I needed to feed and it was _right there._ "Bite straight into it. Now, Bella, _now._"

My eyes searched its neck, spotting the thrumming pulse mere seconds before I leaned down and sunk my teeth through the fur, fat and sinews, breaking into the vein. I cried out in relief as the warm blood flowed into my mouth, shuddering as I swallowed it greedily. The bear gave a soft growl that cut off with a horrid sounding gurgle before its heart stopped. Through the haze of my feed, I reminded myself to snap the neck first and save myself from having to hear that horrible sound. Poor bear.

Edward emerged from the trees as I drank the last of the bear's blood, ripping my mouth away and sitting back on my heels when I was done. I felt full and sloshy but totally and completely satisfied.

"Feel better?" he asked, standing on the other side of the clearing.

I stood and yanked off a strip of my shirt that the bear's claws had already ripped and used it to wipe the remaining blood from my face. "Much better. I can think clearly now."

He smiled, watching me with warm eyes. Had he hunted? I asked him and he nodded. "I found a few stray deer while you were tracking."

"Oh," I whispered, watching the sunlight bounce off his body as he walked towards me. The colours that reflected off his skin and onto mine were absolutely mesmerizing and when he reached me I couldn't help but trail my fingers along his exposed skin, exploring, learning. "You're so beautiful."

He hummed contentedly, burying his nose in my hair. "Watching you hunt, seeing you feed... God, Bella. You were so _fucking _stunning."

I closed my eyes at his words. He had a habit of swearing when he wanted me. So, he felt it, too?

"I can't focus," I admitted. "You're everywhere, I don't understand.."

"I know," he said, wrapping his arms around me. "It's all so new. Now that you've hunted your mind is clear and everything else is sinking in. A vampire's greatest struggle is balancing hunger and the need for their mate."

I nodded in understanding. "Is it wrong that I want you even though I just killed and drank the blood of a giant bear?"

"Not at all," he chuckled, his fingers catching the hem of my tattered shirt and ripping it from my body. It was the only solution to not having to step away from each other. "I don't think you realize how sexy you looked, Isabella."

Sexy? I thought about what it would be like to watch Edward hunt, to see him sink his teeth into an animal's neck and drink from them, to see the red on his lips when he pulled away. I shuddered at the thought, a low moan escaping me. He was right. It was very sexy.

"Will I get to see you hunt?" I asked, feeling him kiss down my neck as I tugged his shirt over his head. He walked me back until I was wedged deliciously between him and a tall standing tree.

"Absolutely," he promised. "I'll hunt by your side whenever you want, my love."

"Mmm," I moaned, tilting my head back and holding tight to his shoulders. "I need you."

"More than anything," he breathed against my shoulder, sliding my jeans and underwear down my legs in one go. "God, you're so beautiful."

"Come to me," I told him, holding my arms out and pulling him tight to my body when he stepped into me after shedding the rest of his clothes. Our lips met as our skin did and I gasped into his mouth at the feel of him, completely bare, against me.

Edward ran his hands down my legs as he kissed me, hooking his hands under my knees and yanking me up to him. I wrapped my legs around his waist and leaned into him, fisting his hair in my hands as he slid his tongue past my lips. My breasts were pressed tight to his flat chest and the feeling was absolute bliss. "Bella," Edward groaned against my lips, his rigid flesh teasing where I was ready and waiting for him. "Please, let me."

"Yes," I hissed. "Make love to me."

Leaning his forehead against mine, Edward looked straight into my eyes and pushed inside me. My head fell back in complete and utter rapture as we both moaned at the sensation. Coming together like this had always been amazing when I was human, but this? I was not prepared for this, was not prepared for the amount of pleasure I would feel.

"Oh my god, Edward," I whimpered, pushing my head back into the bark of the tree as he began to move inside me. "You feel so good."

His head dropped onto my shoulder and he grunted, kissing, licking and biting at my shimmering skin. "So good," he echoed in a rough voice. "So, so good."

I dug my nails into his back as he rotated his hips, grinding into me. What started out as slow lovemaking quickly turned into frantic, well… fucking. I was still feeling a little frazzled from my hunt and as my orgasm began to build in my lower stomach I couldn't hold back the primal snarl that ripped from my throat. Edward's spine jerked and he growled back at me, slamming his hands into the broad tree trunk and digging his fingers in as I clung to him, pushing my body into his, frantically chasing the release I knew was right at my fingertips.

The tree began to crack and groan from the strength and force of our movements but we didn't care. The whole world could crash and burn and I wouldn't notice. I was completely wrapped up in my husband and the things he made me feel.

"Bella," he panted roughly, his hips jerking against me. I closed my eyes and just listened to the sound of our bodies crashing together. It was hard and primal and absolutely fucking perfect. "God, Bella, I love you."

My body jerked as he struck that place inside me that made sparks fly over my skin. "There," I told him breathlessly, burying my face in his neck and biting at his skin. He hissed at me. "Right there."

"You want it there?" he asked, his voice strained. He dropped one hand from the tree and grabbed my hip, extending his thumb to rub frantic circles around my clit. "I can't get enough of you," he whispered into my hair. "I can feel how close you are. Cum for me, Bella."

My back arched away from the tree and I tightened my legs around his waist as my body began to tremble. I was so close. Just a little more...

Edward, ever attentive to my body and its needs, pulled my hips flush against his, sinking deep inside me and pushing his pubic bone against my clit in just the right way. Unable to hold back any longer, I jerked in his arms as I came hard around him, crying his name. My body no longer felt like my own. It was his and he knew it.

As my orgasm twisted through me, I felt Edward stiffen in my arms before he roared in my ear with the force of his own release. The tree behind us finally gave way, crashing to the ground and taking us with it. I barely felt the impact as I clung to the man who gave me so much pleasure. He was still groaning and growling above me and I reveled in the sound. If he gave me pleasure then I handed it right back to him.

Eventually our bodies calmed and we stilled, the only sound in the early morning air was our quiet breathing and the occasional chuckle. We had come out here - pun intended - with the intention of hunting, and after doing so ended up having rough, wild sex and knocking a tree over. It was quite comical.

Relaxed and all kinds of sated, I released a quiet sigh and nuzzled into Edward's chest as he rolled us over on the forest floor. He glanced down at me and I smiled. "Hi."

"Hi there," he replied. "You have leaves in your hair." He plucked one from my hair and showed it to me.

"That was your fault," I told him, unable to hold back my giggle. I was so happy.

"It was," he agreed. "And I don't regret it one bit."

I beamed at him. "I love you."

His eyes softened and he leaned up to kiss me. "And I love you," he whispered against my lips. "I can't wait to watch you explore the world."

Wrapping my arms around him, I closed my eyes in absolute bliss. We would go everywhere together, experience everything together.

Always together.

"It feels like... everything is as it should be," I breathed and his arms tightened around me.

"It is. We were meant to find each other, Bella. It was fate."

I leaned back and looked into his warm golden eyes. "We were born for this," I said, smiling so brightly I'm sure it rivaled the sun.

"Exactly," he said and kissed me again.

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><p><strong>I'd say that was a pretty successful hunt, wouldn't you?<br>**

**Since the epilogue isn't very long, it'll be up in a few days time :) I still can't believe it's almost over.**

**Come and play on Twitter. I'm BlueWinterAngel there, too.**

**Well, I'll see you in a few days :) In the meantime, I'd love to hear your thoughts.**


	11. Epilogue

**Can you believe it's been two years since I posted the first chapter of 15 Step? And now he we are at the epilogue for the sequel. Where did the time go?**

**As I mentioned, this is only short, so I'll save all my snotsobbing for down the bottom.**

**But first, a huge thank you to my lovely beta, Liz4, who held my hand through the writing process of both this and 15 Step. Then again, she's been there for every story I've written. She encouraged me when I lost my rhythm and gave me the advice I needed when I was ready to start yelling at my computer. I can't thank you enough for everything you've done for me. I love you :)**

**Disclaimer: You'd think everyone would know by now, but what the hell. I don't own it!**

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><p><em><strong>Chapter Eleven<br>**__**Epilogue**_

In the first few years after my change, I don't think I did anything but travel.

We went everywhere. Sometimes the rest of the family came with us, but for the most part it was just Edward and I.

We went to Greece, Italy, England, Rome, France, Brazil, Africa and anywhere else you can possibly think of. I made sure I marked off on a map of the world everywhere we'd visited. There aren't any countries left.

And of course, we went back to Australia. I even bought an old school Volkswagen Kombi van and drove from one side of the country to the other. As promised, Edward took me back to Australia Zoo to visit the elephants and imagine my surprise when Sabu came right up to me and wrapped her trunk around my torso. She remembered me.

An elephant never forgets, after all.

Despite the fun I had, I still had to deal with the troubles of newborn life, same as the others. I had the typical bloodlust, but because we lived so far away from civilization it was very rare that I came across a human. To this day I still haven't fed from one. I'm very proud of that.

While visiting some of our 'extended family' up in Alaska, we were able to determine why Edward could not read my thoughts. It turns out I had a gift. I was what the vampire community referred to as a shield; able to protect my mind and sometimes even my body from the gifts of others. Over the years, and with the help of several other vampire acquaintances that I had since met, I was able to lift my shield and allow Edward to read my thoughts.

He got a real kick out of it.

Every now and again, we swung by Forks but made to sure to be sneaky about it. No one was allowed to know we were there. I had slowly cut off all communication to Charlie and Renee. It had hurt, but it had to be done. I still kept a very close eye on them and was overjoyed to know that they were doing well. Charlie had since married Sue Clearwater; apparently they had grown close after Sue's husband Harry passed away from a heart attack. Renee and Phil were doing great, still the same as they were when I was human. I missed them, but they were well and happy. That was all that mattered.

As for Edward and I, we were doing just fine. We loved each other just as much, if not more, than when we first met. We owned a few houses around the world that we visited often, just to escape and focus on each other. He was everything I needed, and every day I wondered how it was possible for two people to be so unbelievably happy.

It was strange to think that all this started in a high school cafeteria. It could have been a chance meeting or it could have been fate. I didn't care.

"What are you thinking about?" Edward asked, propping himself up on one elbow as he gazed at me from his spot beside me on the bed. We were currently living in a little cottage in Canada. The family was back in New Hampshire after moving around a few times. We had all grown to love that house, and it was hard not to return to it every few years.

I looked up at my husband who still had the power to render me breathless with one look and who made my body sing with his touches. "You, me, us... everything," I answered, reaching up to trace his lips with my fingers.

He kissed my fingers and smiled. "And why are you thinking about that?"

"Because it's all perfect," I whispered and pulled him down for a kiss.

It was true. Our lives were perfect, as were the people in them and the things we kept with us.

And the best part?

We had the rest of eternity to enjoy it all.

_The End_

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><p><strong>And there we go :) I imagine this takes place about ten years later, by the way.<strong>

**Now, where do I start? Writing this has been one of the craziest, most enjoyable experiences ever and I've loved every minute of it. 15 Step was my first attempt at a proper plotted out twific and to get such a great response and the chance to continue on with it has been absolutely amazing. The love and support I've received over the last two years has absolutely blown me away and I can't wait to write something new and do it all over again.**

**I'm going to miss these characters something fierce, but they got the ending they deserved, so it's all good.**

**Once again, thank you for everything. I love you to bits and hope to see you all again in the near future. **

**So, for the last time for Cara Mia, I'd love to hear your thoughts :) **


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